After a 3-0 start to the season, the Los Angeles Lakers haven't been playing well. They've lost four of their last five and have dropped to 10th in the Western Conference standings.
Anthony Davis has been playing like a bonafide MVP candidate, but he's already banged up and missed Wednesday's blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers are struggling to get consistent impact from players outside of Davis, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Before things get too ugly this season, Los Angeles may want to consider a trade for a familiar face. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes that Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma would be an ideal fit.
"Kuzma was a part of L.A.'s 2019-20 title team, but nostalgia isn't the reason behind this call for a Hollywood reunion," Buckley wrote. "Rather, it's the ongoing need for roster reinforcements around Anthony Davis and LeBron James, plus the fact the Purple and Gold don't quite have enough assets to trade for a top-tier target.
"The Lakers could, however, have just enough picks, prospects and midsized contracts to bring Kuzma back to where he spent his first four NBA seasons. If head coach JJ Redick believes he could get Kuzma's outside shooting back on track, the Lakers would land a high-end support scorer who also adds some creation and defensive pliability at either forward spot."
Kuzma has always been a productive scorer (17.3 points per game in his career), but what would make him appealing to Los Angeles is his defensive improvements and rebounding. He's averaging 7.0 rebounds per game this season and his length would give the Lakers a chance to play good defense while Davis isn't on the floor.
