Prior to the NBA trade deadline, there were some trade rumors surrounding Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma.
He was reportedly nearly traded to the Dallas Mavericks, but six days after the deadline, he’s still in the nation’s capital.
The Wizards have been dreadful this season, and while Kuzma is putting up some of the best numbers of his career, he’s cognizant that doing so simply isn’t enough, per NBACentral.
“I’m building great habits. It’s not about scoring. It’s about the other things. Trying to score 25, 30 points a night on a bad team doesn’t really move me. It’s all about growth, defensive strides, helping other guys get better on the team and just improving my court presence,” he said.
Kyle Kuzma says scoring a lot of points on a bad team doesn’t move him
“I’m building great habits. It’s not about scoring. It’s about the other things. Trying to score 25, 30 points a night on a bad team doesn’t really move me. It’s all about growth, defensive strides, helping… pic.twitter.com/UkGhKVZoBW
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 14, 2024
Kuzma got a taste of being a part of a winning culture just a few years ago when he won an NBA championship with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
While he wasn’t putting up big numbers and was an awkward fit on that championship-winning 2020 Lakers squad, he got to learn the importance of leadership and being an all-around player.
When Kuzma came into the league six seasons ago, he was regarded as an offense-only player, but over the last few years, he has improved his rebounding, defense, and passing.
He’s averaging 21.8 points and 4.2 assists a game this season, and just three years ago, he was at just 1.9 dimes per contest.
The 6-foot-9 28-year-old received a big contract extension last summer, and he could be a part of the Wizards for a while as they try to build a winning program.
However, since they have just a 9-44 record, one may have to expect him to come up in trade rumors again this summer, especially given the strides he has made as a player in areas other than scoring, not to mention his championship experience.
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Kyle Kuzma Reveals Why He Rejected Trade To Mavericks
