Washington Wizards: Kyle Kuzma could reinvent himself in DC

Kyle Kuzma will have the opportunity to change the narrative with the Washington Wizards. 

A blockbuster trade occurred Thursday evening before the NBA Draft. The Washington Wizards traded Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the Lakers’ 2021 NBA Draft pick.

For the Lakers, it is a new era as Westbrook completes the Big three of him, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. But for the Wizards, the trade gives players like Kyle Kuzma to reinvent themselves as players with a new organization.

A fresh start for Kyle Kuzma

Kuzma was selected by the Lakers with the 27th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. While Kuzma was happy to be a part of a winning culture, the eyes were on Lonzo Ball, who was the Lakers’ lottery pick. With that being said, Kuzma not having immense pressure to perform allowed the game to come easy for him. In the 2017 NBA Summer League, he won the Finals MVP trophy with a thrilling 30-point performance in the Championship game.

Now comes the 2017-18 season, in which eyes were on the Lakers’ young core, Kuzma, Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart. As the other three were struggling to find their footing in the NBA, Kuzma was the player who continued to shine. He averaged 16.1 points per game in his rookie season along with 18.7 the following season, in which the Lakers signed LeBron James. Kuzma’s confidence rose each game. The world believed he was a superstar in the making and he showed flashes with team-winning plays.

As Kuzma’s first two seasons gave him momentum, the 2019-20 season changed his perception amongst media and fans. The Lakers made drastic changes in the offseason. Out of everyone in the young core, Kuzma was the only one who remained on the Lakers’ roster. Los Angeles traded for star power forward Anthony Davis to elevate the teams’ chances of a championship.

With the acquisition of Davis, alongside the hiring of Frank Vogel, Kuzma did an entire 360 and struggled tremendously. Although he did have his golden moments offensively, he did also struggle to find a true consistency on the Lakers’ new and improved team. Kuzma’s numbers declined with 12.8 points in 2020 and 13 points in 2021.

Kuzma may have won an NBA championship in 2020, but he didn’t display his best effort during the Lakers’ run in the bubble. Despite his struggles, Kuzma’s teammates and coaching staff continued to uplift him, reminding him of what he can do on the floor. But as the Lakers liked to repeat in 2021, Kuzma continued to fail as a third option for the Lakers, which showed in the first round against Phoenix when Davis was sidelined.

Many fans and critics have seemed to give up on Kuzma. People believed that his first two years were a fluke and that he never had all-star potential. Also, his former teammates in Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball continued to improve as Kuzma remained in the same position. It could be a factor that the pressure in Los Angeles could be a key contributor as well. The best thing now for Kuzma is that he gets a new opportunity to start over and shine with a new team.

With Kuzma on the Wizards, he now plays with Bradley Beal, a guy who is in search of true success in the NBA. As Kuzma is coming into the organization as a champion, it will be his job to rub some of that DNA onto the other players. His role could be easy with Washington, which is to just impact winning. Whether being a starter or not, Kuzma can still make his presence felt with this team.

Playing in DC is less pressure than in Los Angeles, which can be good for Kuzma. He will have the opportunity to continue to focus and improve as a player. If Kuzma can find the confidence he had in his first few years, he can help contribute to the Wizards becoming a playoff team again.