The Los Angeles Lakers traded Kyle Kuzma in the disastrous 2021 deal for Russell Westbrook, but his abysmal playoff performance in 2025 left the franchise with zero regrets. Kuz averaged just 5.8 points on 34.3 percent shooting from the field and saw his minutes decrease every game. The Bucks gave up a first-round pick swap and Khris Middleton to land 6’9 forward, and they need him to shine as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future rests with this season.
Through two preseason games, Kuzma is shooting just over 38 percent from the field and does not appear to be vastly improved. Giannis wants to play for a contender, and the Bucks desperately need Kuz to be a 3-and-D forward with more offensive juice. Milwaukee was much worse defensively with him on the floor last season, including an abysmal 132.3 defensive rating in the playoffs. The 30-year-old looks like a problem the Bucks cannot afford to have right now.
Many are questioning the Bucks' ability to contend like they are with the Lakers. Milwaukee would love to move on from Kuzma, but no team is eager to take on his $20.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season. The Bucks desperately need to make this move because all signs point to his regression being real.
Kyle Kuzma continues to regress and may never again be the player Lakers fans remember
The 30-year-old got buckets during his three and a half seasons in the nation’s capital, but the Wizards were rebuilding. There was plenty of room to fire up questionable shots or miss a defensive rotation. Last season, both the Wizards and the Bucks were considerably worse with Kuzma on the floor. That should not be the case for a 3-and-D forward.
Kuz has always been a below league-average and streaky shooter. Things got worse in Washington, and those habits bled over to the Bucks. The 30-year-old won't make massive shooting leap overnight, so he needs to provide elsewhere to earn his minutes on a contender.
Kuzma produced 73 assists and 73 turnovers with Milwaukee last season and saw his rebounding dip. The impact simply wasn’t there, and he quickly made the Bucks regret giving up a first-round pick swap for him. The franchise went virtually all-in and only had a first-round playoff exit to show for it.
It appears head coach Doc Rivers is moving him to the bench in his first full season with the Bucks. He had a strong preseason performance on Sunday night, but it did not stop some fans from showering him with negative comments. Lakers fans know the ride with Kuz can be bumpy, and it will only get worse if the regression from last season proves real.
Kyle Kuzma is not providing optimism this preseason. The Bucks clearly overpaid, and the Los Angeles Lakers were proven right in trading him away. Kuz has talent, but could never quite blossom into the needed role to consistently help a title contender. He helped the Lakers win it all in 2020, but wanted more minutes.
The larger role just isn’t there, and Kuzma appears to be on the downside of his career. Nobody wants a bounce back more than the Bucks, but fans shouldn’t count on it. The Lakers did well drafting him and wisely moved on before things got worse. Now, Kuzma is the Bucks' problem.