For years, the Lakers struggled to get back to glory days. The drought came to an end in 2020, when LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Purple and Gold to the championship in the Orlando bubble.
It’s safe to say AD was the missing piece LeBron needed to win a ring in Los Angeles, having struggled without him the previous season. The Lakers acquired Davis from the Pelicans in a blockbuster trade that sent Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first round picks to New Orleans.
Kyle Kuzma was almost included in that package, ultimately staying in LA instead of Ingram. For Draymond Green, the Lakers made the right decision, saying that they wouldn’t have won the title without Kuzma.
Draymond Green suggests Kyle Kuzma was key for Lakers’ 2020 success
“The thing that people don’t realize is when you make decisions like that — some people who don’t understand winning would say, ‘but Brandon Ingram has been an All-Star, so that was the wrong move.’ But if you understand winning, what I say is, ‘but they won championship.’ Regardless of what your thoughts could be on that topic, they won a championship, and that automatically trumps everything,” Green said in his The Draymond Green Show with Kuzma as guest.
“It’s funny because I was telling Trav earlier… I’m not sure that team still wins if they keep BI over you, because of the skill sets. All of these pieces have to fit in. What you brought to that team… you and KCP were shooters.”
Though the players the Lakers traded for Davis ended up making a better impression elsewhere, Kuzma played a part in the team’s last championship. Therefore, they shouldn’t regret making that decision.
