Utah forward Kyle Kuzma goes 27th to the Los Angeles Lakers

I don’t think many NBA teams had Kyle Kuzma pencilled in as a first round pick last season, but Kuzma has impressed a lot of squads out there with his ability to space the floor, shoot, drive, and do multiple things that are valuable in the modern game.

Kuzma was selected with the 27th overall pick, and is headed to the Los Angeles Lakers to join fellow Pac-12 player Lonzo Ball (who was selected second).

Kuzma represents the new bigs that thrive in the NBA today. It remains to be seen whether he belongs in that category as of yet. More on Kuzma from Silver Screen and Roll:

Kuzma averaged 16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a Junior for the Runnin’ Utes, shining in his final college season. He should fit well in the Lakers’ uptempo pace, looking most effective as a versatile, athletic forward in transition.

His fit on the roster will be interesting to see play out. Kuzma has some potential as a floor-spacing big man, but shot only 32 percent from the 3-point range as Junior, raising shooting 25.5 percent from deep as a Sophomore. His shooting from mid-range out should be considered a project going forward.