LAS VEGAS -- Kyle Kuzma was fast asleep in his Shangri-La hotel room in Shanghai when his manager woke him up in the middle of the night to tell him the Los Angeles Lakers had traded for Anthony Davis. In a blockbuster trade, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart -- once considered the future of the Lakers -- were dealt to New Orleans for the Pelicans' All-Star big man in June.
Kuzma, now the last young Laker standing from the core group Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka assembled, says he's ready to become that third star that LeBron James and Davis will need after free-agent target Kawhi Leonard opted to join the Clippers in free agency.