Los Angeles forward, Kyle Kuzma, continues to show that he should be a key part of this team moving forward.

After his performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night, Kuzma proved that he's capable of being a core piece of this Lakers team. This was also the Lakers 12th game without LeBron James in their lineup due to injury.

However, Kuzma has been able to step-up in LeBron's absence, which he displayed again against the Thunder. He recorded 32 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in just over 36 minutes of action.

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Kuzma led his team in points and was a key reason to why they were able to complete their comeback against the Thunder in overtime. This win means that the Lakers now own a record of 5-7 without having LeBron in their lineup.

This was also the fifth time in the 12 games that they have been without LeBron and that Kuzma has recorded 20 or more points in a game. The 23-year-old has been a huge reason to why the Lakers have won five out of 12 without King James, proving that the Lakers should really consider keeping him beyond their expected retooling phase that is expected to come this off-season.

He has also improved his offensive production by a big margin in only his second season. In 44 games this season, Kuzma is averaging 19 points, six rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The former first-round pick has also improved his field goal percentage by .015 points so far this season.

Via AP

If he can continue this production when LeBron is back in the lineup. Then, the Lakers will likely take his future with the team into consideration. The Lakers will also need to make a decision with Kuzma after next season when he could become a free agent.

Kuzma has a club option in his contract for the 2020/21 season. If they exercise his option, then he will cost $3.5 million against their salary cap. Also, he will become a restricted free agent after the 2020/21 season if he doesn't extend before then.

The Lakers are expected to make some roster changes later this season, and into this off-season as well. But, if Kuzma continues to perform like he is now, then the Lakers may really want to think about keeping him long-term.

What This Means

Kuzma has been one of the key players for the Lakers all season long. Which is why they should really consider extending him and making him part of their future plans. His current contract will also allow the Lakers to wait on whether to give him an extension so they can be sure that Kuzma is exactly the type of player who can create chemistry with James. With everything Kuzma has shown so far, it seems likely that he's the type of player that can help LeBron bring a championship to Los Angeles.

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