Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma set to embark on most important season of young NBA career

FLINT – The 2020-21 season could be the most important of Kyle Kuzma’s young career.

The Los Angeles Lakers forward from Flint is entering the final year of his rookie contract and this season will determine what the future holds for him.

He could sign a contract extension with the Lakers, test the free agent market and see if the Lakers match any offer he gets, or hit the road for another team after helping Los Angeles win the 2020 NBA title.

Kuzma was tight-lipped about his situation this week during a conference call with a couple of Flint-area reporters. He was asked about negotiations for a contract extension with the Lakers but had little to say.

“We’ll see,” he said. “It’s all about my agent. My agent is handling that stuff.”

Kuzma has said in the past he wants to be rewarded for what he’s given the Lakers during his first three NBA seasons since being the 27th overall pick in the 2017 draft.

He averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 points to make the All-Rookie first team in 2017-18 before averaging 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds the following year. But his numbers slipped last season after the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis. That left Kuzma as their third offensive option behind LeBron James and Davis.

While Davis averaged 26.1 points and James averaged 25.3, Kuzma’s numbers slipped to 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds – career lows for the 25-year-old Utah product. He also missed 21 games while dealing with a variety of injuries.

That’s not exactly what Kuzma envisioned entering perhaps the most important year of his career.

“I mean, I’m going to get paid regardless, so I don’t really care,” Kuzma said last summer in a Zoom call with reporters. “It’s going to happen one day, so I don’t think about that.”

While Kuzma waits to see what the Lakers are going to do, best friend Monte Morris got paid handsomely this week by the Denver Nuggets.

Morris, the former Michigan Mr. Basketball from Flint Beecher, and Kuzma have been best friends since they were youngsters playing basketball in the Flint area.

Morris, the 51st pick in the 2017 draft out of Iowa State, signed a three-year, $27-million extension with the Denver Nuggets after helping them reach the Western Conference Finals – where they lost in five games to Kuzma and the Lakers.

Kuzma is slated to make just over $3.5 million this season.

When asked if he’s spoken to Morris about his new deal, Kuzma joked that Morris no longer takes his calls.

“He doesn’t pick up the phone anymore,” Kuzma said. “He’s got a few extra bucks. I got voice mail to his assistant the other day.”

Kuzma did say he’ll be expecting his long-time friend to pick up the dinner tab the next time they’re together

The next time their paths will cross will likely be Feb. 4, when the Nuggets visit the Lakers. Both teams will be among the teams to beat in the West this year after their long playoff runs last season.

Kuzma said being in the spotlight will be nothing new for the Lakers even though they went six seasons without reaching the playoffs before winning their 17th NBA championship.

“The plan is to repeat,” he said. “That’s just what it is. As a Laker, you always have a target on your back. It’s been that way since I’ve been here. When we had losing seasons, we still had a target just because of that Laker tag. It’s no different.

“Obviously, a little bit more (after) we won the championship. But it comes with the territory.”

The Lakers open the preseason Friday, Dec. 11 vs. the Clippers.

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