Kyle Kuzma was drafted 27th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft — they acquired the rights to this pick in the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets.
After two productive seasons to begin his NBA career, Kuzma earned a role as a do-everything jolt of energy off the bench and a spot starter for the Lakers. He thrived in that role and was a pivotal piece in the Lakers 2020 title team.
Kuzma’s contributions at the big stage made him one of the league’s most coveted assets and proved why the “empty stats/bad team player” label he faced early on was complete nonsense.
After another year wearing Purple and Gold, Kuzma was eventually traded to the Washington Wizards apart of the blockbuster move that sent Russell Westbrook home to La La Land.
In the nation’s capital, Kuzma averaged 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists for the year. The rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and minute numbers, were all career marks for the versatile forward, and Bradley Beal’s premature end to the season forced him to step into a leadership role for the first time in his young career.
Normally, these type of improvements would at least get Kuzma a shout for Most Improved Player but the 2022’s race for the award was simply too crowded.
While necessity might have forced Kuzma into a number one option role, he’s certainly no leading man on a winning team. However, this one year of high usage could do wonders for his development into a viable third or fourth option — some might argue he already is.
Offenses no longer hunt Kuzma. They actually avoid having his matchup looking to score the ball, as this past season, Kuzma ranked in the 79th percentile as a 1-on-1 defender — he held the combination of Trae Young, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, LaMelo Ball, Julius Randle, and DeMar DeRozan (notice the versatility) to a combined 15-62 shooting from the field, good for a 24.1 shooting percentage. He makes great use of his body keeping opponents away from the rim and let’s his 7-foot wingspan handle the rest.
There were also numerous occasions where Kuzma took on the difficult defensive assignments, guarding opposing team’s biggest offensive weapons, especially in the clutch. His willingness to take on that role, as well as his effectiveness in it, is exactly what this Hornets team needs.
Even with the tenacious defense, Kuzma’s standout skill in his fifth season was actually his rebounding. In fact, he did it at a level few players of his stature can match. He averaged a good but not great 8.5 rebounds per game, but had an amazing ten nights where he grabbed over 13 boards — keep in mind, he’s a forward.
Imagine telling your past self that Kyle Kuzma would be praised for his effort and defense.
Kuzma deserves a ton of credit for reinventing himself and being capable of making this type of impact on the defensive side of the ball, but “Kuzmania” is still very much a thing on offense.
He made his bed as a well-rounded offensive player during his pre-LeBron LA days, and that calling card is still very much intact.
This past season, Kuzma connected on 36% of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts and made massive strides on his in between game knocking-down 41% of all his mid-rangers (6% increase from his fallout season with the Lakers). While those numbers aren’t necessary eye-popping, they’re a mark that makes him very usable to a team like the Hornets.
Kuzma might not be a sharpshooter, but he doesn’t need to be one. He has learned to read the defense and if a defender takes one step in the wrong direction, he’ll get the ball to whoever that player is guarding. As a Wizard, Kuzma nearly doubled his assists per game average, and it’s not all due to the higher usage rate, he’s genuinely an improved playmaker — Kuzma led the Wizards in total assists, points created, assists to pass ratio, and even passing frequency. He turned the ball over in bunches, but so what?
Kuzma has a player option for the 2023-24 season worth a little over $13 million. Chances are he would get more on the open market.
The Wizards could offer up to four-years, $70 million or three-years, $50.5 million, but with Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, and Kristaps Porzingis also on the roster, it’s possible that at least one of these players will be moved so that more minutes are available for the other three. Right now, with all this depth at the power forward spot, Washington’s front office will have a decision to make regarding Kuzma — either commit to him long-term and pay up or cash-in on his trade value before the deadline.
Would Kuzma fit in Charlotte?
Kuzma would be a great fit in the Queen City. He can do all the dirty work while still being a scoring threat who has recent experience of making the necessary sacrifices to reach the ultimate goal — win a championship.
His fashion sense might be questionable. His TikToks might be cringeworthy. And his hairstyle might not be for everyone. But one thing is certain, Kuzma is really good at the sport of basketball and Charlotte would greatly benefit from his presence.