While fans are not often privy to the comings and goings behind the scenes in the NBA basketball world, players are rarely caught off guard. Agents, often the most powerful figures in basketball and sports, are in the middle of those closed-doors conversations and keep players prepared for possible outcomes, a change in dynamics in the modern era of sports.
That the Lakers, then, pulled off a trade this summer that caught even the players involved themselves off-guard is a rare feat. After a report this summer indicated not even the former Lakers involved in the trade that landed Russell Westbrook back in Los Angeles expected to go to Washington, Kyle Kuzma revealed as much on a recent appearance on “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas.