Kyle Kuzma unbothered about NBA future owing to solitary $55 million star's untouchable status
Throughout his career, Kyle Kuzma has seen his name in trade rumors on numerous occasions. While this could be a distraction for some, that isn't the case for the veteran forward.
As he gears up for his fourth season with the Washington Wizards, Kuzma was interviewed on Sunday by NBA insider Josh Robbins where they discussed a variety of topics. Among the things brought up was being part of trade talks due to his team's current situation.
Kyle Kuzma said that it doesn't impact his game at this point in his career. He's fully aware that the NBA is a business and that there's only one untouchable player in the entire league — San Antonio Spurs $55 million big man Victor Wembanyama.
"You see a lot of times when players get into trade talks, it affects their games," Kuzma said. "But it really doesn’t matter at the end of the day."
"One, it’s a business. Two, everybody in the NBA is tradable, except for (Victor Wembanyama)."
Since joining the Wizards, Kuzma has had the opportunity to be the top option for a team. This has resulted in him putting up some of the best numbers of his career. Last season, Kuzma averaged a career-high 22.2 points to go along with 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Kyle Kuzma reflects on turning down trade to the Dallas Mavericks
Following the 2021 season, the LA Lakers traded Kyle Kuzma to the Washington Wizards as part of the Russell Westbrook deal. At the trade deadline last year, the former champion almost saw himself on the move again.
Reports emerged that the Dallas Mavericks had discussions with the Wizards about trading for Kuzma. The front office left the final decision to him and he declined because he wanted to stay in Washington.
The Mavericks went on to reach the NBA Finals following their additions at the deadline. While speaking with Robbins, Kyle Kuzma was asked if he regretted that decision. He still feels he made the right move and said that adding him alone might not have yielded the same results.
"Absolutely not. A big part of the Mavericks becoming who they were was getting an extra center and a forward," Kuzma said. "If I would’ve went there, that wouldn’t have happened, getting two impact players. And when you look at who won the championship, it wasn’t a team with (just) three or four players; it was a team with six or seven really good players."
This season, Kumza will lead the Wizards' roster which is in an interesting situation. They have veterans like him and Jordan Poole but they also have several young players like No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and second-year forward Bilal Coulibaly.