Things haven’t necessarily gone according to plan for Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma this season.
The eighth-year pro has only played in 19 of the Wizards’ first 36 games due to injury, but he also hasn’t played up to par when he is on the court.
That’s why ESPN writers Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst have named Kuzma one of the seven most disappointing players in the league so far this season.
“A year ago, the rebuilding Wizards could have moved Kuzma at the trade deadline, but after the team consulted with him, the deal wasn’t consummated. Now, it could be very difficult for the Wizards to find another chance to do so,” ESPN writes.
“Kuzma, who will turn 30 this summer, is averaging just 15.6 points and shooting a dismal 26.6% from 3-point range while playing on one of the league’s worst teams, one that is clearly focused on the future.”
On top of that, one scout told ESPN that “this has been the most disappointing season of his career.”
It’s hard to have much positive going on as a veteran on the worst team in the league, and Kuzma’s year is reflective of that. He is in trade talks going into the final month before the deadline, but the market is nowhere near as robust as it was one year ago.
That doesn’t mean Kuzma won’t be traded, but the Wizards won’t nearly get the same kind of value that they were able to net a year ago.
Because of this, the Wizards could opt to keep Kuzma, but then they run the risk of his value depreciating even more, and they cannot afford to let that happen for a second year in a row.
Kuzma and the Wizards are back in action tomorrow against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 6 p.m. ET.