NBA 2018-19: 3 reasons why the Lakers need to trade away Kyle Kuzma

#2 Lack of improvement over his rookie season

Considering he was one of the best performing rookies of the 2017-18 season, the Lakers were understandably eager to see their young forward develop further during his second year in the league. However, despite starting 68 times this season, Kuzma's stats have shown little growth.

Despite an increase in minutes, Kuzma's points per game average has only slightly increased from 16.1 to 18.7, whereas his field goal percentage has remained at a disappointing 45%. As established earlier, his defense remains a major weakness, whereas his ball handling skills could also use some work.

Kuzma's lack of development is especially concerning since, despite a disappointing season, both Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram have managed to show signs of improvement. The fact that Kuzma didn't make his NBA debut until he had turned 22 may be a contributing factor, and it is possible that Kuzma is already near his ceiling.