“Since we’ve drafted him, he’s been terrific. We’ve all seen his growth. The way the rules work, he has next season under contract with the Lakers and he’s extension-eligible this offseason. He has great representation that when the team is right, we’ll sit down and speak with him,” Pelinka said.
“We’re proud of drafting Kuz, we’re incredibly proud of his growth as a player. I think he showed in the bubble his ability to play at the wing and 4, so some 3 and 4. When you lose a defender and wing player like Danny Green, I think Kyle, we’re going to count on him to step in and play some of that wing role as well. He has the versatility to do it. He’s been a great player for us and I expect he will continue to grow next season.”
As things stand, the Lakers can extend Kuzma this offseason or allow him to become a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 campaign. The forward did his best to accept a bench role where the basketball was not always in his hands, but he struggled at times to make an impact.
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