Despite numerous rumors that the Los Angeles Lakers were interested in trading away a few their first-round picks from this year's draft, the front office instead elected to use those selections on prospective talents.

One of their new assets is Utah forward Kyle Kuzma, who the Lakers took with the 27th overall pick acquired in the trade that sent D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets. On Thursday, new general manager Rob Pelinka voiced his excitement about the opportunity to add Kuzma to the mix.

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Kuzma is coming off a highly productive junior year at Utah, averaging a near double-double with 16.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, which were both ranked inside the top five in the Pac-12.

What may have intrigued the Lakers most was his unique skill set, standing at 6-foot-9 with the ability to handle the ball along with an improving touch from the outside. Kuzma is also a physical player on both ends of the floor. He can be a major impact player in transition with his ability to finish above the rim.

These qualities alone could help Kuzma quickly find a niche on the team off the bench. He's one of the first selections of the new regime that works well on both ends of the floor as Los Angeles continues to build the roster moving forward. All in all, it will be interesting to see what kind of impact he will have in his first season.