4:46pm: Kuzma has officially signed his extension with the Lakers, the team announced on social media (Twitter link).
3:56pm: The Lakers and forward Kyle Kuzma have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension worth $40MM, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal will include a third-year player option for the 2023/24 season, Wojnarowski reports.
Kuzma, 25, is the latest in a line of Lakers players that have agreed to lucrative new contracts this offseason. LeBron James and Anthony Davis signed maximum-salary deals that will keep them under team control through 2023 and 2024, respectively, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed a contract similar to Kuzma’s, though the final year of KCP’s three-year, $39MM pact isn’t fully guaranteed.
Those multiyear commitments to other key players likely helped open the door for a rookie scale extension for Kuzma in advance of Monday’s deadline, since the Lakers no longer had to consider whether to try to carve out cap room during the next couple offseasons.
Kuzma, who averaged a career-high 18.7 PPG in 2018/19, played a reduced role last season following the arrival of Davis. His 12.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, .436 FG%, and 25.0 MPG were all career-lows, as he struggled at times to establish a clear-cut role for the eventual champions.
However, the Lakers clearly still believe in the fourth-year forward, as exhibited by their willingness to lock in a deal that will guaranteed him $13MM+ per year once his current contract expires in 2021. Kuzma, the 27th overall pick in the 2017 draft, will earn $3.56MM in the final year of his rookie deal this season.
Kuzma is the fifth player to agree to a rookie scale extension so far this offseason, joining Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, and De’Aaron Fox.
While Kuzma didn’t get a maximum-salary commitment like those stars, he becomes the first player to receive a player option on a non-max rookie extension, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). That option will allow Kuzma to enter the unrestricted free agent market at age 28 if he outperforms his new deal.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), Kuzma won’t become ineligible to be traded this season as a result of his new extension. However, the poison pill provision would apply in a hypothetical deal, complicating salary matching and reducing the odds that he’ll be moved anytime soon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Right price
I have 3 year $40m
Way too much..kuzma defense is absolute trash and he can’t adjust to having lebron and ad on court.. his defense was so bad vs Suns they pulled him in 2nd half and played Mathews.. THT has been more consistent on both ends and his contract will be up after this season.. he’s making more than Harrell..
Harrell real value is 3 year $50m if Knicks want to make playoffs
I am only worried about knicks
Next summer Knicks have only one free agent target now – Kawhi
Jrue Holiday is too old and Oladipo is injury prone
So what? It’s not next summer, nor about the hideous Knicks.
Harrell and Kuzma on the court together equals disaster, neither play any defense.
Harrell is a solid interior defender because he always push skinny guys around
Really? Harden is?
Your takes are so bad dude…maybe you should take up badminton or something
Now he’s a trade chip for a mid level guy when he’s eligible to be traded.
They can use it as a trade asset now at least
Signing Kuzma to an extension makes it almost impossible to trade him this season because of the poison pill provision. Teams are less likely to trade for Kuzma after this season because he is overpaid.
People are going to rag on this but its a good deal. Nothing wrong with keeping Kuzma 3 more years at this rate.
Might as well pay Melo that much, they’re basically the same right now.
Except for the part where Kuzma is over 10 years younger.
And 10 years ago Melo was way, way better than Kuzma is now.
That’s completely irrelevant. Try 1 time to not be a clown obsessed with reaching to Lakers hate. Theres a mountain of more negative things we can say about the Rockets than you can the Lakers.
10 years ago kuz was in high school guess he shouldn’t have gotten the extension because he used to be a child.
That’s how your argument sounds
Kuzma’s improved a lot on defense last year especially against wings.. this is a good deal. Kuz is nothing like Melo at this point in his career.
Lakers may view Kuzma and KCP as future
But Wiggins and Oubre are younger and better
44 million for oubre and Wiggins plus penalty of 14 mill cause warriors are way over so 58 million as opposed to kuzma and Kcp 26 mill. Kcp is 27 and kuzma 25.. oubre is 25 and Wiggins 25.. not much younger
None of them are worth it, age irrelevant.
They couldn’t trade him for a player of equal value at his current $3.5 million dollar salary. Now they can if they want to.
IMO
Teams are not allowed to trade players covering 3 or 4 years contract extension this season
You can trade 2 years extension
Good deal for both parties. Kuzma is worth that much even if you don’t like him or think his defence is trash or his jumper is inconsistent. Most teams in the league would pay him that price or more.
For the Lakers they get to keep a key rotation player and once he becomes eligible for trade than can pair him with KCP and target someone like Victor Oladipo or whoever around that 20mil price range.
Right, Lakers will combine their overpaid trash to get something better. Other teams will jump at that opportunity.
I screw up on Rudy Gobert this morning
5 years $180m vs $205m
Next is John Collins
I projected 4 year $110m
Lakers team salary on summer
5 players $105 million
James
Davis
KCP
Kuzma
Deng
Negative cap room because of cap hold
Harrell opt out
Improve via trade not free agency
I would of moved Kuzma for Derek Rose. I didn’t think he was a long term piece.
Lakers need to dump one of KCP and Kuzma and attach rest of future picks from 2021 to 2027
Otherwise Bad teams will steal Talen
Can you not make sense?
Really don’t understand this move. Talon is restricted next offseason and actually plays the wing well….kuzma is blocked by ad and bron for next 3 years…hoping he is used for some type of trade asset come deadline.
Agree 100%.. Talen fits the roster better.. kuzma is just lost defensively.. game 3 vs Suns had 12 pts at half.. scored his points vs garbage 3rd string suns.. game 4 he was absolutely destroyed by booker so much that vogel benched him for Matthews.. he can score 20 on a good night but give up 30.. I hope they trade him.. I’ve soured big time on kuzma.. doesn’t put in the effort and still makes stupid decisions on both sides ..
Lakers1 I just watched lakers nation on YouTube and he said his contract is actually easier to trade now because he makes more, makes it easier to match up to get better players. So I feel better about this deal, I doubt he finishes the deal with lakers
Completely with you guys on this. I’m glad I read the comments cause I’ve also soured on Kuzma. I always wondered what they saw in him. His inconsistency makes me cringe every game. But I’m relieved to hear he is more tradable.
Yall sound ridiculous. THT is not getting a big contract his first trip to restricted free agency. Kuz at this rate is not bad and can be easily be traded.
Not that easily. Maybe they can trade him for Draymond.
U got a real vendetta against all the teams who have owned the rockets the last 8 years huh?
Future – 2021 summer to 2024
Lakers vs Warriors
Lakers
KCP and Kuzma
Few draft picks
Warriors all athletic shooters
Kuminga – Wolves pick
Wiseman
Oubre
Wiggins
Lakers have old LeBum and injury Davis
Warriors have 3 old stars
I usually am not one to trash players but nah. My gut says he’s not strong enough mentally. Apparently Lebron thinks he’s a piece but I don’t really like Lebron either. I would’ve let him walk tbh but I’m not I charge
I just watched lakers nation video and said his contract is actually more tradable now because he makes a decent amount. In the past trades have been difficult because he made so little. He harrell and kcp can be moved for something much better at deadline if needed, or perhaps next offseason. Who knows
Not strong enough mentality… for what?
They just won a championship, had a great offseason and look set to run it back even stronger. Who cares about mentality??
Kuzma’s a permachild. I have trashed him for years and Laker fans could not get it, maybe until the playoffs exposed him. Posters have fallen off him, until now he has few supporters. Yet Lakers feel a need for a 3/$40.
He could offer some interesting offense going down the lane but that is not what he gets assigned. He just works the baseline, where defenders can come at him from only one side of him. He keeps the team tall on the second unit, so there’s that.
To overpay just for trading is risky. The Lakers could get stuck with him.
For all of you trashing Kuzma, there’s something to be said for a young player willing to accept a role on a winning team. Overpaid or not, find me a better 7th or 8th best player on another team. I’ll wait…
He’s not being paid like a 7th or 8th best player.. he plays like it.. his stats are hardly groundbreaking.. Kcp makes the same as him but Kcp plays defense and hits 3’s.. what does kuzma do particularly well.. doesnt play d, doesn’t shoot 3 at high pct, defense is atrocious.. doesn’t rebound or offer assists..shouldve traded him
Lebron, ad, harrell, schroder, kcp, caruso, morris, tucker are all much better than kuzma and he makes more than half of them! No defense, not effective on offense not worth 13 million!
Next summer, Lakers need to pay
Harrell
Schroeder
Reach tax, then
Talen
Carusa
Gasol
Morris
MLE
And other 4 players
The Kuzma hate is real. Drafted a Laker, won a championship and deserves to get paid. I guarantee another team would have signed him to a bigger offer sheet.
They kept him because they needed his cheap contract to fill roster when they got ad.. not because he’s better
Lakers are the deepest team in the league. Some players are overpaid while others are on minimum deals. It all translates to winning basketball. Trust the Robfather
Kuzma was not drafted by the Lakers
Technically you are right.. he was the pick that was in the russell trade..
Umm… most teams. No point in listing. Nobody is waiting for you.
Lol.. Lakers acquired the Kuzma pick from Brooklyn before the draft and he’s played every game in purple and gold. As for you Cavs fan, please name a deeper roster in the league. If you’re concerned the Lakers overpaid to maintain their depth, that’s a Cleveland problem right there..
Small market Wolves or Hornets could offer Kuzma 4 year $60m
If they have cap room,
He is comparable to Beasley
They did not and nobody even made trade offers. He’s been available for several years. The Pelicans took a distant first instead of him, taking Ball & Ingram but not him.
you have no idea what your talking about! he has not even been in the the league for several years!
Well IDK who you’re talking about, someone who hasn’t been in the league for several years. Andre Roberson?
This should give the Lakers a lot of incentive to showcase him this year in garbage time.
He {can} be a good trade chip now but hes going to need a steady diet of mins to get there. Tough on a team thats 11 deep
I didnt see this call being made for another 9 months, its a lil risky when some could argue No risk was needed
Exactly. No such risk was called for.
At least acknowledge it was a calculated risk with just as much chance to be a small profit (by play or/trade salary) as a small risk/loss in the near future
Buncha cap space and a barren field to spend it on next year – Only way this becomes untradeable next year after the poison pill has dissolved is if he has 28 ex gf’s out there on other teams currently dating one of there players; Certainly a possability …we already know Denver is X’ed out
Kuz is AWFUL ON DEFENSE!
AWFUL!!!!’
I wouldnt use the word awful- Defense revolves around 3 things, effort skill and positioning….he’s got the first 2 and id argue the 3rd is the easiest to get better at with time {*he truly does have terrible positioning tho today}-
Remember this is a guy who was coached by Luke Walton for the majority of his career!!!!…. Vogel ALREADY made him better last year, i see another improvement this year as well in year 2 w Vogel…has to be good for his mentals as well knowing his contract isnt an issue moving forward now
I’d grade this move a “D”. Not a fan of the player generally, nor his fit with this roster. From a trade perspective, this contract takes him from a minor asset to a significant liability, and pretty much precludes a trade this year.
This was a smart move by the Lakers. They lock him in now at three years and $40 million rather than either having to over pay to match another teams offer like the 4 years $72 million Bogdanovic got from the Hawks or letting him walk and getting nothing in return. They can at the very least trade him for a decent player if things don’t work out. Kuzma on a team with no superstar would average over 20 points a game because he’d get the required minutes and shots. Some other team would definitely make him an offer next year that the Lakers wouldn’t have wanted to match.
Bogdanovic is a superior player to kuzma.. he’s a shooter and shooters get paid.. kuzma has regressed in his scoring and he doesn’t rebound or dish assists.. plus watch him play defense, he literally lets every scorer drive by him and commits dump fouls on 3 pt shots.. when he enters the game, he hurts the lakers defensively… cool he could score 20
On bad team.. but he’ll give up 30
Doesn’t matter. Someone else would have paid him. I’d rather lock him up at $13 million and be able to trade him than risk having to overpay him or lose him for nothing. Lakers won’t be able to sign a player in free agency next year for $13 million because they’ll be over the cap but at least now they can trade Kuzma if he doesn’t work out.
Nobody else wants him! Prove otherwise!
Bogdanovic was a massive overpay that ATL will sorely regret, Hield is better than him & although I am not a big fan of Kuz it is obvious he still is better than Bogdanovic!
It’s funny to me that the most similar player to kuzma according to basketball reference is micheal kidd gilchrest
MKG doesn’t do much for the stats but is at least a tough guy.
This is the 2nd biggest market
Both KCP and Kuzma are overpaid because Lakers have very few future picks avail to attach with them
There are way more worst contracts than kuzma’s contract. Don’t be too harsh on him. He can still ball on some nights. His lack of Bball IQ costs him lots of defensive miscues but overall, at this price, i think he deserves it because he wants to stay loyal to this lakers franchise!
Funny how so many people getting mad and trash talking Kuzma. He does his job that the Lakers want him to do and obviously he did it well enough for them to win a championship and then the front office extend him.
Who cares what you think of him
These nerds talk as if they’re the ones signing his checks..
And who cares what you think? You wrote of him as instant trading piece yourself.
These anti-keyboard-warrior posts posted even before I started in with my warrioring. I guess now it’s even moreso.
Kuzma needs his own team. I think with consistent minutes in a leadership role he could blossom. Treat him like a bench guy and he’ll play like a bench guy. Anyway that’s my opinion…take it or leave it.
It’s always funny watching a bunch of broke keyboard warriors act like they understand what millions are worth when they can barely afford a mcdouble
The Lakers ability to lock up so many of their core players this off-season to extensions is pretty impressive. And good for Kuzma that he’s still getting the $ he deserves even though his numbers are down — mostly because he now is taking a backseat to James and Davis. If I were Kuzma though… I’m not sure I’d have committed to staying with LAL given the reduced role he’s been forced to take. Though I guess when you’re winning/have the chance to keep winning like the Lakers do that makes taking a reduced role a heck of a lot easier… as does signing a new deal worth $40M! I do think though… that if he were on another team he would definitely be able to put up bigger numbers, and probably improve on his 18 PPG from a year ago instead of falling back to the 12PPG range. Who knows though maybe he’ll take on a bigger role going forward and he’s obviously capable of maybe one day averaging closer to 20 PPG, though with James and Davis around I’m not sure how much of a chance he’ll get to do so.
Seems Kuzma fell out of favor with Bron. While the team always liked him for future. He was considered the piece next to AD after Bron leaves. But now seems more like a trade asset. Bron is locked in on two more titles. And we all know he runs the Lakers. So unless Kuzma steps up this yr. He’s probably gone. For the stats he put up last yr. He’s not worth it. Young talent gets paid on potential too. Better business move to have him under contract.
I agree that that LJ has little to do with Kuzma; he’s just a left-behind piece that is supposed to be worth something for trading.
And I agree with Dunker that he needs his own team to reach his potential. (Who doesn’t).
I expected to hear the Cavs mentioned somewhere as a bad team he could take over to develop and reach his potential, but the Cavs do NOT want him either. NO NBA TEAM HAS ROOM FOR this kind of piddling unless he is real cheap. And now he’s not cheap.
Look at how much more these other players got on their extension versus the $40 million Kuzma got! Lakers have to be happy getting him at three years and $40 million compared to the $64 million Kenard just got or the $80 million Isaacs just signed for! Kuzma may be kicking himself for not waiting one more day to sign so he could have used these other contracts as leverage. Like I said before, good move by the Lakers!