Kyle Kuzma

Free Agent Stock Watch: Southeast Division

December 29th, 2022 at 9:01am CST by Rory Maher

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Southeast players.

Kyle Kuzma, F, Wizards

2022/23: $13,000,000
2023/24: $13,000,000 player option
Stock: Up

Kuzma has already said he plans to decline his player option and enter free agency, which makes a lot of sense from a financial perspective – he can only earn up to about $70MM over four years in an extension.

Through 35 games (35.4 minutes), the six-year veteran is averaging 21.6 points (a career high), 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists on .466/.341/.703 shooting (.560 true shooting percentage).

The 27-year-old’s TS% is actually below league average (.577, the highest in NBA history), but he offers three-level scoring and an interesting blend of versatility on both sides of the ball. He should see a significant raise on his $13MM deal starting next season.

Justin Holiday, G/F, Hawks

2022/23: $6,292,440
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Down

It’s a rare and impressive accomplishment for an undrafted player to last 10 NBA seasons, but the eldest of the three Holiday brothers has now joined that group, having found a nice niche as a 3-and-D wing from 2016-2021.

Holiday has earned between $4.3MM and $6.3MM each of the past six seasons, but his role and production have been limited in ‘22/23. He’s averaging just 15.4 minutes per contest and 4.7 points through 26 games, while recording his lowest 3PT% (.345) since ’15/16.

Perhaps more concerning is the fact that Holiday’s defense isn’t what it used to be, and he’ll be 34 in April, so there’s little reason to believe that will turn around. At this point, he’s looking like a one-year, veteran’s minimum type in free agency – assuming he finds a team.

Will Barton, G/F, Wizards

2022/23: $14,375,000
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Down

Similar to Holiday, playing 11 seasons as a former second-round pick (40th in 2012) is certainly an impressive achievement for Barton. He entered the league as a raw prospect, but flourished when he was traded from Portland to Denver, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on .438/.362/.789 shooting over seven-plus seasons.

Unfortunately, injuries have sapped Barton’s athleticism in recent years, and he was never a great defensive player. That – along with being traded to the Wizards in the offseason – has been detrimental to his career. He’s producing at his lowest level since his Trail Blazer days, averaging just 8.3 points, 3.0 boards and 2.7 assists per game on .371/.370/.800 shooting (.486 TS%) through 31 contests (22.3 minutes).

Barton will have earned more than $80MM in his career once this season is over, but he’s clearly on the tail end of things, and is probably looking at a veteran’s minimum contract in the offseason.

Nick Richards, C, Hornets

2022/23: Minimum salary
2023/24: RFA
Stock: Up

The 42nd pick of the 2020 draft, Richards rarely saw the court in his first two seasons, averaging just 6.3 minutes across 68 games. Suffice it to say, external expectations were not high for the 7’0” center entering ‘22/23.

The fact that he has been one of the most productive backup centers in the league this season – he’s averaging 9.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 33 games (18.8 minutes) – has been a pleasant surprise to say the least. The 9-26 Hornets currently hold the second-worst record in the league, but Richards has been a bright spot.

The 25-year-old will be a restricted free agent in the offseason and should garner a nice raise on his current minimum-salary deal.

(As an aside, I have no idea why Mason Plumlee continues to see the majority of minutes in the middle over Richards and first-rounder Mark Williams. Plumlee turns 33 in March, will be an unrestricted free agent, is a negative on defense, and Charlotte clearly isn’t going anywhere. Very odd situation for one of the league’s most perplexing teams.)

P.J. Washington, F/C, Hornets

2022/23: $5,808,435
2023/24: RFA
Stock: Down

Washington has several desirable traits – he can play both frontcourt positions (though he has played almost exclusively power forward this season), he’s a decent defender, he holds a career 3PT% of .368, he can leverage the threat of his outside shot to pump-and-drive, and he can post up smaller players, particularly favoring a mini-hook shot down low.

The former lottery pick will turn 25 in the offseason, so he’s theoretically still on the upside of his career, and he’s posting a career-best 14.8 points through 34 games in ‘22/23. So why is his stock down to this point?

Well, down is relative. I thought Washington could get a deal in the four-year, $60-70MM range on a rookie scale extension before the season started, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he still does, but it won’t be because he’s having a strong contract year. Despite playing a career-high 31.8 minutes per contest, he’s averaging a career-low 4.9 rebounds, his defense has regressed a little to my eyes, and his efficiency has plummeted. He has posted .416/.337/.798 shooting splits for a .519 TS%, after registering a career-high .588 TS% in ‘21/22.

Playing without the team’s best passers for much of the season hasn’t helped, and there’s plenty of time for Washington to turn things around with a strong second half. Still, his stock has definitely dipped since October.

Southeast Notes: M. Williams, Kuzma, Wright, O. Robinson

December 28th, 2022 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets fans anxious to see rookie center Mark Williams are getting their chance with Nick Richards still considered day-to-day due to a right ankle sprain, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

After playing just 13 minutes in three games prior to this week, Williams logged a total of 34 minutes on Monday and Tuesday and acquitted himself well, registering 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and a pair of blocks. He also had a positive net rating in both games despite the fact that the Hornets lost by 11 and five points, respectively.

“He was impressive,” Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said after Monday’s loss. “The way he handled himself, his poise on the court, his basket protection, we were very organized when we were on the floor. He did a good job in his pick-and-roll coverage and I thought he did a really, really, good job.”

As Williams makes a bid for a larger role in Charlotte, here’s more from around the Southeast:

Although Marc Stein reported earlier in the week that Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma is considered increasingly likely to be available at this season’s deadline, not everyone is hearing the same thing. One league source who spoke to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said that the Wizards internally consider Kuzma to be a “big part of the future.”
After winning in Sacramento on Friday and vs. Philadelphia on Tuesday, the Wizards are now 5-1 this season when Delon Wright is active. Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. suggested after Tuesday’s victory that the team’s success when Wright plays isn’t merely coincidental, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “His impact was immediate, even just picking up (opposing ballhandlers), pestering (them),” Unseld said. “You know, it’s tough when you’ve got minute restrictions, for good reason, but he does a lot of good things out there, and some of them that don’t fall into the box score. But there’s a presence, and I think guys (on the other team) are kind of looking over their shoulder because they know he has a defensive feel to him.”
Heat center Orlando Robinson is making a strong impression on the team with his recent performances, including a 15-point, nine-rebound showing against Minnesota on Monday, but he can only be active for 27 more games due to the limitations of his two-way contract, observes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson’s recent play prompts Chiang to wonder if the big man is emerging as the frontrunner to take Miami’s 15th standard roster spot later in the season once signing a player will no longer put the team’s salary into the tax.

Stein’s Latest: Kuzma, Tampering, Lasry, Rockets, Wood

December 27th, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

There’s a rising belief around the NBA that Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma will be “gettable” prior to this season’s trade deadline, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

Based on the whispers he has heard, Stein has a hard time envisioning Kuzma wanting to remain in D.C. beyond this season. If the Wizards have heard those same rumblings and consider them credible, it would make sense for the club to recoup some value for the standout forward on the trade market rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.

Kuzma is enjoying a career year in his second full season with the Wizards, averaging 21.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 3.5 APG in his first 33 games (35.4 MPG). He has a $13MM player option for 2023/24, but has already indicated that he plans to decline it to become an unrestricted free agent.

Here’s more from Stein:

The penalties the NBA has handed out for tampering and free agency gun jumping have been widely regarded as toothless, Stein writes. “If second-round picks are the only punishment,” one general manager said, “nothing will ever change.” As Stein observes, the NBA made a show of instituting more punitive anti-tampering rules in 2019, but hasn’t taken full advantage of those new measures, including the ability to fine teams up to $10MM for instances of “egregious” tampering.
There’s has been increased chatter about the possibility that Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry is open to selling his share of the franchise, Stein writes. Lasry and Wes Edens have been the team’s primary owners since 2014.
Although it seems unlikely that the Rockets would welcome a reunion with James Harden, given how his last stint with the franchise ended, Stein notes that Houston’s rebuild has progressed slowly so far and says team owner Tilman Fertitta is widely believed to be “antsy” to accelerate the process and return to contention. If that’s true, the Rockets could be in the market for veteran help with their cap room next summer even if Harden doesn’t return.
The “consistent signals emanating from Dallas” in the early part of this season have suggested that a contract extension for Christian Wood is unlikely, according to Stein. Still, he points out that the Mavericks big man has been playing well as of late and had some encouraging moments on defense without needing to play alongside Maxi Kleber.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Houstan, Young, Kuzma

December 24th, 2022 at 7:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic are in the midst of their best nine-game stretch in more than a decade, but there’s no single reason why it’s happening, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando has moved into the race for the play-in tournament by winning eight of its last nine games, and head coach Jamahl Mosley believes everything he’s been trying to teach his young players over the past two seasons is taking hold.

“We’ve been saying it from the beginning: understanding we’re close (and) getting over the hump,” Mosley said. “You just have to stick with that process. The growth, understanding those close games and what those mean later on in the season. It’s just the belief system these young men are starting to grow into.”

The Magic own the NBA’s second-best rating in clutch situations and have started winning tight games that they couldn’t close out earlier in the season. Orlando is also among the league’s top seven teams in both offensive and defensive rating during the last two and a half weeks.

“As a young team, sometimes we can get caught up in ‘Oh, we won a certain amount of games. Let’s get comfortable,’” said Wendell Carter Jr., who returned to the lineup Friday after missing more than a month. “I feel like the biggest thing for us is to continue to do what got us here. Not to change the formula or too many things. Just do what got us to this point.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Magic have considered sending Caleb Houstan to the G League to get more playing time, tweets Aaron Goldstone of Orlando Pinstriped Post. The rookie small forward has appeared in 22 of the team’s 34 games.
Trae Young‘s father responded to a recent article by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report speculating about Young’s future in Atlanta and a tweet by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggesting the Hawks guard isn’t willing to play off the ball alongside Dejounte Murray. “Although I like Kevin’s stuff, now there’ll be articles on Trae like this just because ‘rival execs’ believe something!” Ray Young tweeted. “Trae doesn’t talk to other teams. He’s busy trying to win in Atlanta. Will this ever end?”
With their roster almost fully healthy, the Wizards understand they have to start producing to prevent a shakeup at the trade deadline, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “It’s tough for you to make decisions without a healthy team, and we’ve got to make up some ground,” Kyle Kuzma said. “We’ve been injured a lot, but we’ve got a chance to rewrite some things. The trade deadline is in six weeks, and everyone in this locker room knows about that.”

Kyle Kuzma Talks Contract, Possible Trade, Time With Lakers

December 18th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma told The Washington Post earlier this week that he intends to reach free agency in 2023 rather than signing an extension during the season or picking up his player option for 2023/24. In a conversation with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Kuzma explained in more detail why he doesn’t expect to sign an in-season extension with Washington.

“It’s not a smart business move,” Kuzma said. “The max I can make if I sign right now is $15 (million). If you look at the market, that’s not market price.”

Technically, Kuzma could get a starting salary of $15.6MM on an extension with the Wizards and could earn about $17.5MM annually over four seasons. But that still may end up being below his value on the open market, given his production so far this season. He has averaged 21.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 29 games (35.1 MPG).

With Kuzma on track to become a free agent and his future in D.C. uncertain, it’s possible the Wizards will consider trading him before this February’s deadline — he has reportedly been drawing interest. The 27-year-old told McMenamin that the Wizards have “made it clear that they value me,” but acknowledged that the NBA is business, adding that “everybody in this league is tradable.”

McMenamin notes that Pacers center Myles Turner spoke openly to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on a podcast about a possible trade to the Lakers and said L.A. should take a “hard look” at it. However, Kuzma said he doesn’t plan to push for a trade to his former team or anywhere else.

“I definitely could (lobby for a trade). But that’s very immature,” Kuzma said. “I’m not a really immature person. I like to do business in a professional way. So, I would never do that.”

Kuzma went on to say that he values the time he spent with the Lakers earlier in this career and still frequently watches his old teammates on television when he can, but he’s not expecting to be dealt back to Los Angeles this season.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Kuzma said when asked by McMenamin about a possible trade. “The Wizards love me. It’s going to be really tough to do. Do the Lakers have anything (to make a deal)?”

Here’s more from Kuzma, who also spoke to Melissa Rohlin of FoxSports.com about his current situation in Washington and his Lakers history:

On why playing behind two superstars (LeBron James and Anthony Davis) in Los Angeles was a “double-edged sword”:

“I believe that it was some of the best things to ever happen to me, you know, getting drafted, being a Laker, having that platform. Having millions and millions of people globally know who you are, that’s a blessing. That’s part of being a Laker. Learning from LeBron, winning a championship — it’s all been great.

“But at the same time, I always look back and wish I would’ve gotten the fairer end of the stick a little bit, just with my role and how much I sacrificed. It’s cool to sacrifice. That’s the only way you win championships, everybody has to sacrifice. But, just getting the fairer end of the stick, I feel like I never really got (that). But everything happens for a reason. I’m here now (in Washington), and I’ve been able to expand my game and flourish.”

On why he feels like he didn’t get the “fair end of the stick” with the Lakers:

“In the position I was in, it was tough being that little bro on the team. One night, you might get 10 shots. The next night, maybe they just need you to rebound. The next night, you might get 15 minutes. The next night, you might get 29 (minutes). You never know. That’s (not getting) the fair end of the stick.

” … When I was in the moment and I was young, (I was) frustrated a lot of nights because, man, I really want this. I really want this. Everybody who knows me knows I’m really competitive. I really love basketball. A lot of nights it bothered me that I never got the chance to do what I’m doing now, play me.”

On why the trade to the Wizards has ultimately been the best thing for his career, despite the team’s struggles:

“I needed this. This move here has been so instrumental in my life, just being more mature. I love basketball, but I love it even more now. I love my craft, I love getting in the gym every single day. Being in the gym, being in this type of situation — seeing how good I can become has made me be really obsessive with trying to improve and better myself.”

Kyle Kuzma Plans To Become Free Agent In 2023

December 16th, 2022 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Based on the terms of Kyle Kuzma‘s contract with the Wizards, he could sign a veteran extension at any time this season or could pick up his player option for the 2023/24 season to delay his free agency until 2024. However, he’s currently not planning to take either of those paths.

According to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Kuzma said in an interview that he doesn’t expect to sign an in-season extension and that he intends to turn down his ’23/24 player option in order to become an unrestricted free agent this coming summer.

Kuzma’s plans don’t come as a major surprise. He’s in the midst of a career year, averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in his first 28 contests (35.0 MPG) with a shooting line of .462/.343/.692. At age 27, he’s still very much in his prime, and his value has never been higher — he could be one of the best players to reach the UFA market in 2023.

Kuzma is currently earning $13MM, which is also what his 2023/24 option is worth. It’s safe to assume he’ll be able to exceed that figure on a new contract. An extension with the Wizards could max out at approximately $70MM over four years, but based on the way he has performed so far this season, it certainly seems possible that Kuzma can top that deal as a free agent too. In other words, it’s in his best interest financially to become a free agent next offseason even if he’s interested in remaining in D.C. long-term.

“Those are just business decisions,” Kuzma said, according to Wallace.

Although Kuzma’s intention to become a free agent doesn’t mean he wants to leave the Wizards, the club will have to proceed cautiously to avoid losing the former first-round pick for nothing when his contract is up.

If president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard and his front office aren’t confident in their ability to retain Kuzma beyond this season, it makes sense to gauge his value on the trade market. Kuzma’s name has already popped up in some trade rumors and will certainly do so again as the February 9 deadline approaches.

Southeast Notes: Hampton, Beal, Porzingis, Kuzma, Butler

December 14th, 2022 at 6:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic guard R.J. Hampton has signed with CAA and will be represented by agent Aaron Mintz, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), who notes that Mintz also represents Magic veterans Terrence Ross and Gary Harris.

Hampton was previously with LIFT Sports Management, but departed the agency after the Magic declined their fourth-year team option on his rookie scale contract for 2023/24, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

Price reports (via Twitter) that Hampton requested — and was granted (Twitter link) — a temporary G League assignment with Orlando’s affiliate in Lakeland in order to get more playing time. The No. 24 overall pick of the 2020 draft has been a healthy scratch for three consecutive games.

The plan is for the 21-year-old to play in Lakeland’s home games on Thursday and Friday and then rejoin the Magic in Boston for Sunday’s contest, head coach Jamahl Mosley confirmed to Price (Twitter link). Through 21 games (15.6 MPG), Hampton is averaging 6.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 1.5 APG on .438/.347/.871 shooting.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

The Wizards will be playing without their two leading scorers on Wednesday in Denver, as Bradley Beal (hamstring) and Kristaps Porzingis (low back soreness) have been ruled out, tweets Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Beal was medically cleared to return, but clearly needs a bit more time to ramp up his conditioning. He has now missed five straight games with the injury, while Porzingis will miss just his second game of the ’22/23 season.
Josh Robbins of The Athletic details why Kyle Kuzma‘s contract situation has the Wizards in a tough spot. As Robbins writes, Kuzma is limited by the CBA rule regarding veteran contract extensions, so the maximum the Wizards can offer him in an extension is $69.9MM over four years. He’s averaging 21.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 3.6 APG, and he figures to land $20MM+ annually when he opts out of his $13MM player option in the summer to become a free agent (a mere formality at this point), so Washington has to decide if they want to risk losing him for nothing or trade him away to recoup assets. The Wizards do hold his Bird Rights, so they can offer him an additional year — and more money — than a rival team could.
The Wizards have lost 10 of their past 11 games, including seven straight. When asked about the team’s morale, Kuzma said it’s “not as bad as you think,” according to Robbins. The veteran forward added that he’s disappointed in the results, but not the team’s effort. “I mean, it does suck to lose,” Kuzma continued. “Everybody in here does feel s–t about losing, but we’re competing. It’s not a lack of effort. If it was a lack of effort, it’d probably be way worse. But as long as we’re competing every single night, we’ve given ourselves a chance. You’ve just got to tip your cap and just live with it.”
Heat forward Jimmy Butler will miss Wednesday’s game in Oklahoma City due to right knee management, but he’s expected to return to action on Thursday against Houston, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). As Chiang relays in a full story for The Miami Herald, Butler missed seven games in November with the injury, so the Heat are being cautious with their star player. He’ll miss one end of the back-to-back at the end of the month, but the team is hopeful that will be the last time he’ll miss a game on a back-to-back — Miami doesn’t have any on its January schedule.

Charania’s Latest: Bogdanovic, Crowder, Gordon, Martin, Collins

December 12th, 2022 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are seeking shooters in their trade talks with rival teams and have discussed a potential deal with the Pistons involving Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Along with players to match Bogdanovic’s $19.343MM salary, the trade could include a protected first-round pick from L.A. in either 2027 or 2029, sources tell Charania.

Bogdanovic has been enjoying a career-best season since Detroit acquired him from the Jazz in September, averaging 21.0 points per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 43.7% on three-pointers. He signed a two-year, $39.1MM extension in October that will keep him under team control through the 2024/25 season.

Charania hears there are about a dozen teams that have expressed interest in Bogdanovic, with all offering first- or second-round picks in return. Charania’s sources say the Pistons aren’t committed to moving Bogdanovic and have expressed a “significant reluctance” to some of the teams that have inquired.

The Athletic insider passes along a few more rumors:

The Suns were trying to work out a three-team deal to send Jae Crowder to the Bucks, multiple sources told Charania. Phoenix would have received Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr. from the Rockets in the proposed trade, while four of Milwaukee’s second-round picks would have gone to Houston, along with unidentified players. The Rockets have nixed the deal so far and are hoping to get a first-round pick for Gordon and “a very good first-rounder” if they decide to move Martin. Charania hears that Houston has gotten interest in Gordon from several contenders, but is less willing to talk about parting with Martin. The Bucks may search for another team to help complete the deal for Crowder.
The Hawks and Heat have also expressed interest in Crowder, Charania adds, and Miami will have more assets to offer when Dewayne Dedmon, Victor Oladipo and other players become trade-eligible on Thursday.
The Hawks have talked to several teams about John Collins, including the Jazz, Nets and Mavericks, according to Charania, who adds that Atlanta hasn’t shown interest in a Brooklyn deal that would include Joe Harris. The Suns also like Collins, but they aren’t willing to take on his pricey contract. The Hawks would like to acquire Kyle Kuzma from the Wizards, but Charania hears there’s not much traction on a potential deal with Washington.

Trade Market Heating Up For Kyle Kuzma

December 12th, 2022 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s plenty of interest in Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma as the NBA’s unofficial trade season begins this week, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

Pincus cautions that Washington hasn’t decided to move Kuzma, but there’s a risk he’ll leave in free agency next summer if he declines his $13MM player option for 2023/24 as expected. General manager Tommy Sheppard recently indicated that the Wizards intend to re-sign Kuzma, but Pincus points out that the team already has two established scorers in Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis and is off to an 11-16 start.

Pincus adds that Kuzma could be one of the five best players on the free agent market and may become too expensive for Washington to keep.

“He wants out,” an NBA source said told Pincus. “He’s looking for over $20 million a season and in a big market (or with a contender).”

Pincus cites the Kings, who tried to trade for Kuzma in 2021 before the Lakers sent him to the Wizards, as a team to watch. Sacramento can’t unconditionally offer a first-rounder earlier than their 2028 pick, but Pincus believes a deal could be constructed around Harrison Barnes and either that future pick or a young prospect such as Davion Mitchell.

The Suns may see a Kuzma trade as a chance to finally unload Jae Crowder, Pincus notes, suggesting Crowder and Cameron Johnson, who is recovering from knee surgery, may be enough to get a deal done. Johnson will be a restricted free agent next summer, which would allow the Wizards to match any offer he might get.

Pincus also believes the Knicks have interest in Kuzma, who is represented by CAA, the former agency of team president Leon Rose. Obi Toppin could be the centerpiece of a deal, according to Pincus, who adds that New York has young players such as Immanuel Quickley and Cam Reddish to offer, along with a wealth of draft assets.

Wizards Receiving Trade Interest In Kyle Kuzma

December 6th, 2022 at 12:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

A number of teams have expressed interest in Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, but general manager Tommy Sheppard considers him a cornerstone of Washington’s future, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

League sources tell Charania that the Hawks and Suns have both reached out to the Wizards about a potential Kuzma trade. Washington had interest in Atlanta forward John Collins and the teams engaged in serious discussions about a deal during the offseason, Charania adds.

However, Sheppard indicated that he’s committed to keeping Kuzma, who has meshed with Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis in their first full season together. Kuzma is averaging a career-high 20.6 PPG this season, and he seems to have reached another level since being acquired from the Lakers during the summer of 2021.

“We’ve had great respect for Kyle since he’s been in the league,” Sheppard said. “He had a great rookie season, being in the Rookie of the Year conversation, and then life changed when LeBron (James) came. So when the trade happened, it allowed Kyle an opportunity to join our program, have a bigger role, start for us, and he has been outstanding. Kyle has such a great personality and demeanor, and he has so much more room to grow in the future for us. We’re really excited for his future growth here.”

Kuzma is almost certain to turn down his $13MM player option for next season and test free agency. Charania hears from rival executives that Kuzma’s next contract could start in the $20MM to $25MM range.

Kuzma touches on several topics during an interview with Charania, including:

Why his game blossomed after being traded to Washington:

“Being in this situation helped out a lot. Here, I’m not playing behind LeBron and (Anthony Davis). Those guys are my position, my type of player, who I am, my style. So coming here, I don’t have that anymore. It’s been great because me, Brad and KP don’t get in each other’s way. We all just flow out there. It’s been a pretty good jell for the first 20 games. We’re all averaging 20 a game without having any friction out there.”

His current contract, which has him somewhat underpaid at $13MM:

“I definitely did the Lakers a little favor to have the hometown discount. I always appreciate (Lakers vice president of basketball operations) Rob Pelinka for the deal that he gave me, because it gave me security and it gave me a player option. I was one of the few players in NBA history without being a lottery pick to have a player option in an extension. Everything has worked out in my favor from signing that deal to my progression as a player to this summer too.”

The state of the Wizards’ locker room after chemistry issues last season:

“If you look at our team last year, we were so up and down, because we didn’t like each other. … This year, yeah, we’re still working through some things, but we have a genuine group, an authentic group. We actually like each other.”

Figuring out how to play alongside Beal and Porzingis:

“We’re approaching it every day. For us, we have to keep pushing it, and we have to exhaust each other. We have to make everyone else better. That’s our next step. When we can make other guys better on our team, it will make our job so much easier. We all want to win and we want to make those around us better. I’m a champion. I’ve been at the highest level and played in some of the highest games in the championship. I’ve learned the game of basketball from probably the greatest player of all time, so I have a lot of knowledge in the way that I play, the way that I see the game. It’s all because of my past.”

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