The Official Kyle Kuzma Thread

[Kanyewest]

Anyone know what Spencer Dinwiddie said that set Kuzma off on twitter?

Read on Twitter

?

[Dark Faze]

I find it interesting that Brad hasn't really been involved in this conversation at all.

[9 and 20]

I find it interesting that Brad hasn't really been involved in this conversation at all.

I'm gonna need Kwame to weigh in on this, tbh.

I love that Dinwiddie still has that kind of hate in his heart. At this point he's going to start dropping bombs on the Wizards' towel guy and the mop up the floor guy. I can appreciate that level of petty.

[Kanyewest]

John Wall liked this Kuzma tweet

Read on Twitter

[penbeast0]

Since I've wanted to trade Kuzma since the day the story broke that we were acquiring him, it's obvious that I agree w/ the above.

& since anyone who bothers to take a look at reality will understand that Kuz is not a good player, I assume his appeal to the FO & Ted lies in his marketability. That's non-trivial, of course; but it doesn't help win games.

Then again, it wasn't long ago at all that the overwhelming majority view on this board was that Kyle Kuzma is an outstanding young NBA player, someone around whom we should be building.

Certainly, it's fair to compare the Kuzma situation to "the Bertans debacle" (great phrase ).

Then again, pretty much everyone on this board absolutely loved the decision to give Bertans that deal.
Some of you were expecting he'd get even more $$ & viewed $16m/year as quite a bargain.

How long do you think it'll be before that same dynamic is reproduced in the case of Kristaps Porzingis?

I don't remember the overwhelming majority of this board thinking Kuzma was an outstanding player, I think he's always been seen as not a difference maker. The difference is some see him as not hurting the team as a starter either, others see him as actually harming the team with his overly high usage with poor efficiency.

I did think Bertans was a good signing from San Antonio. He had a multi year track record as an extremely efficient 3 point shooting specialist in limited time. He didn't work out and the next contract was an overpay but the first signing was the kind of gamble you take.

Porzingis is the biggest variable on the team. He has a less common skill set offensively though he's not an efficiency or multidimensional star. Defensively he's limited but not terrible. The big scary thing though is his injury history. I know I don't want Kuzma back as more than a instant offense bench guy (who is PAID like a bench guy); I'm back and forth on paying Porzingis but someone will probably take the risk and pay him if the Wiz don't.

[payitforward]

Certainly, it's fair to compare the Kuzma situation to "the Bertans debacle" (great phrase ). ...pretty much everyone on this board absolutely loved the decision to give Bertans that deal.
Some of you were expecting he'd get even more $$ & viewed $16m/year as quite a bargain....

...I did think Bertans was a good signing from San Antonio... the kind of gamble you take.....

Of course, that was a good move -- & by no means a gamble! We got Bertans on a very affordable salary for the cost of a tpe -- & in a situation where, basically, we didn't have any players!

the next contract was an overpay....

Not only signing Bertans for 5 years but turning down Boston's offer of a late R1 pick in 2020 for him! -- think Desmond Bane.

That's what I was referring to. The vast majority of this board supported the long contract. & the vast majority of the board didn't want to trade him for a R1 pick.

Now... I don't think many people here actually want to re-sign Kuzma for big dollars any more. So, that's changed in the last couple of months.

[NatP4]

Was a Kuzma hater for wanting him gone from day 1.

[payitforward]

Yes, you were.
Where did you stand on re-signing Davis Bertans? I don't remember....

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

?t=1dIN_b25h4iW3SrBW0-Ayw&s=19

[payitforward]

We went 35-47 this year, & you can chalk up a bunch of our losses to those high scoring games of his.

Kuzma's increased point volume was not accompanied by an increase in efficiency. Since his efficiency was way way way below average, he didn't help. The opposite. If that isn't obvious... hard to know what to say.

Kuz is an interesting guy. But he is a bad NBA player. He's been in the league 6 years & never had a good year.

Last year, in 2022-23, he was absolutely terrible.

[penbeast0]

Kyle Kuzma .544 ts% (league average .581), ts Add -91.8 (best year was rookie year at -15.5).

I just don't buy he can help a team as a starter; maybe as an instant offense guy off the bench where they may need more shot creation. Playing next to Deni Avdija, .531ts%, -60.5 ts Add, and you can see where the problem is for the team.

[payitforward]

Kyle Kuzma .544 ts% (league average .581)....

Right. Now add in the 1.4 more turnovers than average per 40 minutes, & you start to see how serious the problem is. Not to mention the below average number of steals & offensive boards.

Now... nobody is bad at everything! Kuz records an above average number of assists, & he's an above average defensive rebounder too.

Still... overall, he is a big part of the problem with the Wizards. Re-signing him will make us worse.

[penbeast0]

Again, if no one gives him starter money, I wouldn't mind him as a reserve wing. If anyone does, work a sign and trade or let him go.

[tleikheen]

Kyle Kuzma will get alot of interest by teams that are playing for long playoff runs. What he's shown in Washington is that he can get his shot by going downhill or shooting 3's.
On a team with poor management ,poor coaching and a poor record ,Kuz will be looked through the same lens as Rui Hachimura in what did Rui do when he went to another organization. The high dollars (25 million) Kuz is seeking is not from the Wiz having leaks but by the going rate in todays NBA market. Teams that would be interested in him are Miami,Memphis ,Knicks,Clev ,teams that made the playoffs and have need for a combo forward.

[prime1time]

Yes, you were.
Where did you stand on re-signing Davis Bertans? I don't remember....

I was team resign Bertans but more so because we didn't trade him before hand. What's fascinating about Bertans is how much he fell off after we signed him. If he would have produced at the same level he did the year before he got his contract I'd have been comfortable with it.

[prime1time]

Fascinated by the hate for Kuz here. Because we didn't trade him when we had the chance, the best move is to resign him and then trade him when we rebuild. You don't let positive assets go for nothing. And regardless of what statistics people are going to trot out here, multiple teams were interested in trading for Kuzma last year before the trade deadline.

[gambitx777]

Fascinated by the hate for Kuz here. Because we didn't trade him when we had the chance, the best move is to resign him and then trade him when we rebuild. You don't let positive assets go for nothing. And regardless of what statistics people are going to trot out here, multiple teams were interested in trading for Kuzma last year before the trade deadline.

Yeah but kuz on a 13 mill contract is way different that cuz on 25-30+ with the new rules setting in that might be an albatross to move. We don't know how that's going to effect trades yet .

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

[prime1time]

Fascinated by the hate for Kuz here. Because we didn't trade him when we had the chance, the best move is to resign him and then trade him when we rebuild. You don't let positive assets go for nothing. And regardless of what statistics people are going to trot out here, multiple teams were interested in trading for Kuzma last year before the trade deadline.

Yeah but kuz on a 13 mill contract is way different that cuz on 25-30+ with the new rules setting in that might be an albatross to move. We don't know how that's going to effect trades yet .

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

True, in this scenario,if we have to drastically overpay ofr him, I'd move on. I don't see Kuz as a legit #3 option. He's too inefficient when it comes to scoring. But I do like Kuz as a ballhandler and a playmaker. I like when he goes downhill and attacks instead of settling for jumpers. I guess we'll see what the number comes out to be.

[gambitx777]

Fascinated by the hate for Kuz here. Because we didn't trade him when we had the chance, the best move is to resign him and then trade him when we rebuild. You don't let positive assets go for nothing. And regardless of what statistics people are going to trot out here, multiple teams were interested in trading for Kuzma last year before the trade deadline.

Yeah but kuz on a 13 mill contract is way different that cuz on 25-30+ with the new rules setting in that might be an albatross to move. We don't know how that's going to effect trades yet .

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

True, in this scenario,if we have to drastically overpay ofr him, I'd move on. I don't see Kuz as a legit #3 option. He's too inefficient when it comes to scoring. But I do like Kuz as a ballhandler and a playmaker. I like when he goes downhill and attacks instead of settling for jumpers. I guess we'll see what the number comes out to be.

As a player I really like Kuz more than most in the board. He's the type of player you don't mind having one or two of. You need heat check/ irrationally confident scoring dudes. You just wanna be careful over paying them, cuz sometimes they end up like Chandler parsons, Ryan Anderson, or Davis Bertans and they just stop being good and stop trying to be and you end up with a 20 million dollar towel boy.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

[NatP4]

If he’s a backup that plays 20 or so minutes, sure. If he leads the team in minutes and is considered the 3rd best player on the team with sky high usage, he’s going to really hurt you.