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Multiple players with great potential endured a tough 2020-21 NBA season due to multiple factors. Some joined teams where they were misfits, while others just couldn't deliver under the pressure of playing with their current franchise.
In the NBA, a change of scenario for players can do wonders for them to shine. Some great examples of that could be the likes of Blake Griffin of late, who switched to a title-contending team in the form of the Brooklyn Nets and flourished after enduring a couple of disappointing seasons with his former club, the Detroit Pistons.
Derrick Rose also left the rebuilding Pistons and joined the New York Knicks, where he rejuvenated himself after years of struggle and not being able to perform at a high level. While these were some veterans who have shone before, younger players have also benefitted from switching teams in the NBA.
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Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson are a great testament to the fact that playing for teams where they have a prominent role can do wonders for them. They were able to take their time and develop at their own pace as well.
All three players won individual honors in the NBA, while Ingram and Randle also made their All-Star debuts. They all had one thing in common; they were all drafted by the LA Lakers, who were in a rebuilding stage when they played for the side.
The Lakers are now a championship-caliber team but have another young player struggling to deliver to his potential in Kyle Kuzma.
He is one of the few young players in the NBA who does have the potential and talent to deliver at a top-level if given a consistent role, something he hasn't received with LeBron James and Anthony Davis around.
On that note, we list three players, including Kuzma, who will likely benefit from playing for a new team next NBA season.
#3 Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond signed for the Lakers midseason after the Cleveland Cavaliers reached a buyout agreement with him.
He signed a minimum contract until the end of the 2020-21 NBA campaign and was expected to have a huge impact, forming a 'big-three' of sorts alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who were sidelined with injuries at the time.
The Cavs decided to trade him early in the season and after failing to find a trade partner for him, they benched him for almost two straight months before reaching a buyout agreement.
He was in top form in the 25 games he played for Cleveland, averaging 17.1 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. However, with the long break combined with new surroundings and playing for a championship-caliber team, Drummond could not replicate his performances from his time with the Cavs for the Lakers.
He also endured a toe injury in his debut game for the Lakeshow and was forced to miss out on in-game action for another week. These adversities kept on piling for him, and he never got to play with LeBron and AD as much as he would have liked, with both players returning together on the floor with only a handful of regular-season games remaining in the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
Drummond was unable to sync with the team's two leading stars as he often clogged the paint for them to be able to drive to the basket. On top of that, his inconsistency was a major issue, especially on the offensive end as he only accounted for 11.9 points per game.
If the Lakers are looking to bring him back, it would be best for Drummond to decline that option and play for a different NBA team where he can play a more prominent role like he did with the Cavs.
#2 Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Kuzma certainly needs a change at this stage of his career. He is still young and confident that he can be more successful if given more responsibilities, but that isn't happening with him playing for the LA Lakers.
Kuzma plays in either of the two forward positions, both acquired by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As a result, Kuzma had to play a reduced role on the team, which led to him averaging only 12.9 points per game.
The Lakers can't be solely blamed for his failures, though, as he failed to deliver from his end too, despite having the chance to do much better with Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing a huge chunk of games for the side.
The San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings have emerged as two potential landing spots, if the LA Lakers engage in a trade with those two teams.
If Kuzma does play for either of those teams, he could definitely rediscover the touch he had during his first two years in the league, when he averaged around 17 points per game in that stretch.
Individually, it would see him regain lost confidence and help him assure title-contending teams in the foreseeable future that he can be an All-Star-caliber player if given the chance.
#1 Ben Simmons
The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly exploring trades that would have Ben Simmons and potential suitors lined up one after the other for the defensive-minded guard. His dismal postseason campaign was one of the major reasons the Sixers faced elimination from the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Simmons' flaws on the offensive end were on full display as he shot only 34.2% from the free-throw line during the playoffs. His unwillingness to take jump shots, shoot threes and play as a secondary scoring option hasn't quite helped the Sixers as he is now emerging more and more as a misfit with the team.
The Sixers aren't a side he should stick with for as long as they are a championship aspiring team. It will likely stint his growth as a player as he won't have the space to work on his all-round game due to their urgency in achieving postseason success.
If Ben Simmons does take his talents elsewhere, especially for a team that is working its way towards playoff contention, he would highly benefit from it. It will give him the chance to develop his game and also allow him to gain some confidence with less pressure compared to playing for Philly. .
He is still 24 years of age and has a long time to improve, so a change of scenario makes the most sense for him at the moment.
