Lakers Rumors: Kyle Kuzma has potential to be groomed into a great

The latest Lakers rumors look at what could come from Kyle Kuzma.

After a terrific Summer League, the Lakers rumors of free agent pick ups and trades during the regular season seem to have taken a back seat. First year phenom Kyle Kuzma has Los Angeles watching every move he makes now.

Picked 27th overall and available to the Lakers only after they dealt D’Angelo Russell, the purple and gold are seeing the benefits already of letting go of what could’ve been special. By shipping Russell, Los Angeles not only made room for Lonzo Ball, but in the process might have creating something better entirely.

Kuzma had great chemistry with Lonzo Ball during Summer League, and that’s also worth noting. He came through when the Lakers couldn’t use their new star point guard and ended up with a title game trophy and game MVP.

Before his impact was felt in Los Angeles, though, he played college ball in Utah. Brad James is a reporter for mid-Utah radio and got the chance to really observe his game.

James explained in a podcast appearance how, with time and the right training and focus, Kuzma could be to Los Angeles what James Worthy once was.

Now before you go on saying that it’s blasphemy, here this out. Like Brandon Ingram, James made the point that the weight room needs to be a priority. It’s no secret that the guys Kuzma will be up against in the regular season will be much bigger, stronger, and talented that Summer League folk.

But to that end, being able to have a three point shot that can be consistent and deadly at the same time makes him much more of a threat than ever expected.

For his rookie campaign, James argued that he’s the third best weapon on the Lakers, or at least can build up to that. With that being said, it’s hard to see him wiggle into a conversation for rookie of the year or anything like that.

However, the Lakers could still get tremendous upside from him. Additionally, if they make the playoffs, he’d be a game changer at that point in the season.

It’s not that they’ll need some ridiculous scoring average from Kuzma for him to matter. A reliable chemistry presence matters just as much. Since he’s been able to show he has that with Lonzo Ball, that makes him even more valuable to the team.

Next: Dodgers Prospects That Could Get Traded

Because if we learned anything from this summer, particularly through the draft, it’s that Magic Johnson plans on putting all his eggs in one basket. He’s not necessarily counting the eggs before they hatch, but he can’t be upset with how things are turning out already.