Kyle Kuzma won a ring with the Lakers in 2020 and a season later was consigned to tanking oblivion in the Russell Westbrook trade that made Kuzma a Washington Wizard. Arriving in Milwaukee this deadline has given him his first shot at competitive basketball since he left Los Angeles.
The team made the move in their best competitive interests. While fans and players will always miss Khris Middleton, Kuzma elevates the team’s ceiling immediately as a younger, more durable, and more versatile option.
He has yet to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is out through the All-Star break with a calf strain, and Milwaukee is 1-2 since Kuzma’s arrival. Once the team has its battering ram back, it will be interesting to see how Kuzma settles in as that third scorer. He couldn’t be happier to be here.
Kyle Kuzma Is Reinvigorated as Member of Milwaukee Bucks After Years of Losing with Washington Wizards
Bucks analyst and commentator Marques Johnson sat down with the Michigan native to discuss the trade.
“Just ecstatic,” Kuzma described his response to the news. “Really, really excited just to be able to play and contend for a championship. Play with great players, play for a Hall of Fame coach, Bucks’ fanbase is always good. It’s like a dream come true.”
While Doc Rivers has acknowledged the difficulties of integrating a new player, he has been impressed with how Kuzma fits with his new team. Despite mixed fan reactions, seeing him in a Bucks uniform somehow just looks right. In Monday night’s 125-111 loss to the Warriors, his second Milwaukee start, he had his best shooting performance post-trade, scoring 21 points on 6 of 9 from the field 9-13 at the line.
By his career standards, it has been a rough season for Kuzma, who is averaging his fewest points (15.2), rebounds (5.9) and assists (2.4) since the Lakers trade. At 42.0/28.0/61.7%, his shooting splits are at career-lows. He has also been banged up this season, as a rib injury kept him sidelined for all but game in December.
The hope is that Milwaukee will revitalize him as well as get him better looks as Giannis and Damian Lillard attract defenders, leaving others open. Last season in Washington, Kuzma averaged 22.2 PPG on 46.3% shooting. While he won’t have the same volume as a Buck, he should be more efficient than he has been thus far in 2024-25.
Kuzma’s Defensive Versality Is a Tool the Bucks Could Really Use
As a Wizard, he was consistently the first or second option while providing veteran leadership. “I enjoyed that chapter of my life, being able to help and develop people,” he told Johnson, “but my competitive spirit was hit and I think that coming here those juices are really flowing. As soon as the trade happened, they almost flew all over the place. Super, super exciting.”
Words are only words, and he has to prove it on the court, but that is a promising self-diagnosis as far as “revitalization” is concerned.
Although he isn’t recognized as some stalwart defender, Kuzma does provide flexiblity. While Middleton lacked the size or quickness to defend power forwards or nimble guards, the 6’9 Kuzma has both of those qualities. As the starting small forward, he will most often be confronted with opposing 3’s, a task he is very comfortable with.
“Oh, for sure. More than good,” he said of his comfort level in that area. “I think for my career, I’ve always been a switchable guy, somebody that guarded multiple positions. That’s where I hang my hat, on my versatility, being able to guard whoever and make it tough.”
Particularly when the team is missing one or more of its bigs–Giannis, Bobby Portis, or Brook Lopez–having Kuzma available to defend the 4-spot is a minor godsend. The hardship caused by Portis’ recent 6-game absence is still fresh in Bucks memory.
In the final game before the break, Kuzma will have a chance to build on his last performance when Milwaukee travels to Minnesota Wednesday night.
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