Lakers’ Kuzma receives $40 million extension
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (0) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Terrance Ferguson, center, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Los Angeles Lakers announced Sunday that they have signed forward Kyle Kuzma to a multi-year extension.
The club didn’t divulge terms but ESPN reported it is a three-year, $40 million deal.
According to spotrac, Kuzma’s deal calls for him to make $12.35 million in 2021-22 and $13.33 million the following campaign. The third season (2023-24) is a player option worth $14.32 million.
Kuzma, 25, has averages of 16 points and 5.5 rebounds in 208 games (114 starts) over his first three NBA campaigns.
“It is especially gratifying for our Lakers franchise to draft, develop and now sign one of our own to a contract extension,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a news release. “Kyle has shown tremendous growth over the last three years and played a crucial role on last season’s championship team. Kyle has been a terrific member of the Lakers community and we are all very excited about his continued future with us.”
Kuzma averaged 10 points and 3.1 rebounds in 21 postseason games last season as the Lakers won their first NBA title since 2010.
Kuzma averaged 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 61 games (nine starts) last season. He averaged 16.1 points as a rookie in 2017-18 and a career-high 18.7 the following season.
Kuzma was a first-round draft pick (27th overall) in 2017 out of Utah.
Teammate Anthony Davis was pleased to hear Kuzma had landed the extension.
“I mean, it’s good for him,” Davis told reporters on Sunday. “You don’t have that contract anxiety for the whole year. Now that it’s out of the way, you can go out there and play, which he was doing anyway. He was having a great preseason. He’s been playing great for us in the bubble and all of last year. He’s locked in. He made a great jump on both ends of the floor.”
