Prior to the start of the 2017-18 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to be building around a core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma.
Ball had been selected with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and Ingram was looking to improve on a rookie season in which he had shown some glimpses of being a star winger. Meanwhile, Kuzma had looked like one of the best players in his class during the NBA Summer League.
Though the Lakers would win 35 games, all three players looked like tremendous pieces, and former Villanova standout and fellow rookie Josh Hart proved to be a vital bench player capable of some defensive versatility.
The four Lakers youngsters also established close relationships off the floor, frequently broadcasting their time together on Instagram and jokingly engaging in “roast” sessions on Twitter.
But with Anthony Davis coming to Hollywood, the core four are no more. On Sunday, Kuzma paid tribute to his former teammates and friends on Instagram:
Kyle Kuzma reacts to Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart being traded to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis. #Lakers
(via IG) pic.twitter.com/DFA0aq5UHC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 16, 2019
Earlier this week, it had been suspected that the Lakers were hesitant to give up Kuzma to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the package to acquire Davis.
Despite having a less efficient shooting year from beyond the arc, Kuzma averaged more points per game while shooting close to 46 percent from the field in his sophomore season. He also seemed to establish a particular rapport with LeBron James.
Now, Kuzma — along with Davis — will be one of the lone youngsters the Lakers can really hope to build around in the future.
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