Lakers News: Buzz on Anthony Davis' Injury, Kyle Kuzma, Dennis Schroder Contract

No Anthony Davis? No problem.

At least that was the case Sunday night in Los Angeles, as Kyle Kuzma slid into the lineup and led the team in points and minutes played in a 127-91 victory over the previously unbeaten Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kuzma's performance came as AD sat out with a calf contusion, and both topics were at the forefront of Lakers buzz following the impressive, dominant win.

Add to it the presence of point guard Dennis Schroder, whose contract is the subject of conversation, and LA is thinking "repeat" early in this 2020-21 season.

While that remains to be seen, find out what league insiders have to say about the defending champs in the latest Lakers news.

Anthony Davis Injury Update

Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press

Lakers coach Frank Vogel told Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell the team hopes to have Anthony Davis back in the lineup Monday night against Portland.

Davis missed Sunday's blowout win against Minnesota with a calf contusion. Vogel admitted to Trudell that the decision was precautionary.

The Lakers hope to have him back against a Portland team, highlighted by star point guard Damian Lillard, that wants to keep pace with the defending NBA champions in the West. 

Davis was the best player on the court in the 2020 Western Conference First Round, where the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers in five games. He led the Lakers in points, blocks and steals (149, 8, 7) and dominated in a must-win Game 2.

Portland's frontcourt will be without Carmelo Anthony and Nassir Little Monday, both of whom are sitting out due to "Health and Safety Protocols."

Davis returns to a lineup that did not miss a beat in his absence against the Timberwolves, thanks in large part to Kyle Kuzma's play.

Kyle Kuzma's Key Role

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Earning the starting nod with Davis on the bench Sunday, forward Kyle Kuzma led the team in scoring with 20 points and shot an impressive 4-of-6 beyond the arc in just over 29 minutes of play. Lakers coach Vogel told The Athletic's Jovan Buha Kuzma is likely to start whenever Davis or LeBron James misses a game.

The team has to be happy with what it saw out of the 2017 first-rounder Sunday.

Thrust into a position where he had to replace one of the game's premier players, he performed exceptionally and helped lead Los Angeles to a win over the previously unbeaten Timberwolves, who were without their own star, Karl-Anthony Towns (dislocated wrist).

Kuzma brought energy to the game that was reciprocated throughout the rest of the team. The ball movement was flawless, and the team's 32 total assists suggest chemistry that will prove difficult for other teams to defend in LA's journey to a second, consecutive title.

If it can be maintained over the course of the season, the Lakers could have another historic team on its hands and Kuzma may finally find that success that has been expected of him since he arrived four seasons ago.

Dennis Schroder's Contract Status

Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press

Point guard Dennis Schroder told Los Angeles Times reporter Dan Woike he would love to extend his deal with the Lakers, stating, "it's a hell of an organization." He added, "I would love to. It's just got to be fair on both sides."

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers and Schroder have engaged in contract talks that are expected to resume in mid-February when the PG becomes eligible to extend his deal for more money. "...as much as $83 million over four years," Wojnarowski added.

The Senior NBA Insider continued, "before the start of the season, Schroder turned down an initial Lakers offer to extend his contract for an additional two years and $33.4 million, sources said—an overture that represented the maximum allowable offer the Lakers could make to him prior to Feb. 16."

The Lakers acquired Schroder in a trade for guard Danny Green and a first-round pick in the 2021 draft, which demonstrates just how much the franchise's front office desired to have Schroder apart of their efforts to repeat as NBA champs.

He did not waste any time proving his worth to the team, as he was just two rebounds shy of a triple-double in his Christmas Day debut against the across-town rival Clippers. Through three games, he is averaging 14.3 points and 26 minutes.

The Lakers needed help at the point guard position. Schroder, hot off his best season to date in 2019-20 with Oklahoma, offers that. It will be up to the team to decide how much it values having a player of his quality at that position and for Schroder to leave the team with no other option through his play.

That the team has already begun talks suggests it knows just how valuable Schroder is to what it wants to accomplish, not just this year, but moving forward.