Lakers Trade Rumors: Latest Reports Before 2021 NBA Draft Lottery

The Los Angeles Lakers are no longer the defending NBA champions, as they fell to the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the postseason. Obviously, this was not the way LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers had hoped their title defense would end.

Injuries played a large role in L.A.'s early playoff exit. James and Davis both missed significant time during the regular season, which forced the Lakers into a play-in series against the Golden State Warriors and then a Round 1 matchup with Phoenix.

The Suns, for the record, hold a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

While it's easy to pass off Los Angeles' disappointing season as the product of bad luck and an ugly injury bug, there's more to the story. The injuries to James and Davis merely magnified the Lakers' lack of overall depth and supporting talent.

The Lakers should now look to overhaul parts of their roster in the offseason. Los Angeles doesn't have an opportunity to move up during Tuesday's draft lottery and isn't exactly cap-rich, so trades are likely to ensue.

One player who could be on the move is forward Kyle Kuzma. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer wrote last month that Los Angeles was interested in moving Kuzma ahead of the trade deadline.

"They made a bunch of calls," one assistant general manager told Fischer. "They were very active."

ESPN NBA insider Marc J. Spears recently stated that Kuzma "looks" like he's on the way out of Los Angeles (h/t NBA Central):

Spears mentioned Kemba Walker as a possible trade target for the Lakers. Walker recently landed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade from the Boston Celtics. Spears also mentioned that the trade interest with Kuzma might be mutual.

"Kuzma has been in this LA bubble, he's behind LeBron, I think he's ready for a new start with a bigger opportunity," he said on The Jump (h/t NBA Central).

interestingly, Kuzma recently removed references to the Lakers in his Instagram bio:

Kuzma signed a three-year, $40 million extension last offseason, a deal that includes a player option for the 2023-24 season.

It may seem strange to see Kuzma go from being a key cog in the Lakers' championship run and a potential building block for the future to being a trade chip. However, the reality is that Los Angeles' lack of depth and a strong supporting cast leave the Lakers with few tradeable alternatives.

With the Lakers also projected to be over the salary cap this offseason, if L.A. is going to make a significant addition, a Kuzma trade may have to be involved.