LeBron Gasses Kyle Kuzma Up On Twitter, Though Fan Base Wants Him Gone

Kyle Kuzma was a major disappointment this season, even though he wasn't necessarily bad. He was just average on the offensive end, which was a letdown compared to the expectations Lakers fans had. After the Lakers won the NBA championship, fans wanted Kuzma traded. LeBron James rushed to his defense on Twitter, making things awkward.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has reportedly fielded offers on Kuzma this offseason, but no deal has been made. He can still be traded, but Kyle Kuzma simply hasn't drawn interest the way the team hoped he would. So maybe LeBron is being honest when he says he'll do what it takes to launch Kuz's career? If Kuzma stays, then the Lakers can use a more proven version of the power forward and deal for a better player later. After all, no one wants to trade for a player a team doesn't like themselves.

The Lakers have already hit a home run this offseason by landing two Sixth Man of the Year candidates. What if the Lakers had lost in the Finals this year and then didn't improve their roster heading into 2021? More than likely, King James would have less to say in Kuzma's defense.

Lakers fans have been hostile towards the 25-year-old Kuzma, and he deleted his Twitter altogether after offering up free Play Stations. Let's be clear: if you're offering an elusive product like the PS5 for free, and people still want you traded -- you're incredibly disliked.

So what's likely to come of this?

LeBron is a great leader, and he has one simple mission: give Kyle Kuzma everything he needs to be better next year. If he is, the Lakers will have more flexibility to either keep him or trade him for a player they'd rather have.

L.A. will probably lock Kuz into an extension soon to prime him for a deal at the deadline in 2021. Prepare for the eventual ESPN "Woj bomb" announcement.