A number of players from the 2017 NBA Draft class have received massive rookie extensions in recent weeks. Los Angeles Lakers swingman Kyle Kuzma is not among them.
Kuzma is eligible for a rookie extension, and ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported last month the former first-round pick is expecting a “sizable” deal from the Lakers.
For his part, Kuzma is mostly mum when it comes to extension talks.
The 25-year-old was asked about his future during media availability on Thursday. Kuzma said his agent has spoken with the team regarding a possible extension, but offered little more detail, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Kyle Kuzma said his agent and the Lakers have talked about a contract extension but wouldn’t provide much detail after that: “We’ll see”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 3, 2020
Needless to say, Los Angeles has had other priorities lately.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka quickly set about to reshaping the roster, trading for former Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Dennis Schröder and signing Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell and veteran big man Marc Gasol to bolster the frontcourt. Pelinka also re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Markieff Morris.
But the last couple days have been the most consequential in determining the direction of L.A.'s future.
The Lakers reached a two-year extension with LeBron James on Wednesday, keeping James in L.A. through the 2022-23 season. Less than 24 hours later, Anthony Davis agreed to terms on a five-year, $190 million max contract.
Obviously, the Lakers were right to focus on establishing clarity with two of the best players in the game. Kuzma might still be a future piece, but James and Davis are absolutely imperative to L.A.'s championship window in the next couple years.
It is still possible the Lakers could now pivot to a possible extension with Kuzma before the Dec. 21 deadline. But Kuzma is also coming off an underwhelming season, and L.A. might prefer to see what he can do in a “prove it” season.
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