Kuzma, Lakers agree to $40- million deal

It doesn’t matter that Kyle Kuzma doesn’t know his role. He knows his worth, and the Lakers agree.

Kuzma and the Lakers agreed to a three- year contract extension worth approximately $ 40 million on Sunday, after he acknowledged he is again entering the season unsure of his role.

“I have no idea,” Kuzma said Wednesday. “We’ll see.”

Kuzma’s extension includes a player option after the second year, people with knowledge of the deal said. He started all four games this preseason and averaged 17.5 points while shooting 41.7% on three- pointers.

Coach Frank Vogel said he would disclose the starting lineup before Tuesday’s opener with the Clippers.

The No. 27 pick in the 2017 draft, Kuzma is the last remaining link to the Lakers’ painful rebuild as the team tried to bridge the gap between Kobe Bryant and its next star, LeBron James. All the Lakers’ first- round picks of those lean years have been traded or let go.

“It is especially gratifying for our Lakers franchise to draft, develop and now sign one of our own to a contract extension,” general manager Rob Pelinka said. “Kyle has shown tremendous growth over the last three years, and played a crucial role on last season’s championship team. Kyle has been a terrific member of the Lakers community and we are all very excited about his continued future with us.”

After averaging 16.1 points as a rookie and 18.7 points in his second season, Kuzma settled into a smaller role in his third year, primarily coming off the bench to average 12.8 points behind James and Anthony Davis.

While Kuzma’s scoring and minutes dipped and his three- point shooting remained spotty ( 31.6%), his aggressiveness and defensive improvements were enough for the Lakers to commit to him long term.

The move keeps Kuzma, 25, from entering restricted free agency next year.

“It’s good for him. You don’t have that contract anxiety for the whole year,” Davis said.