The raw numbers may not tell the whole story, but Kyle Kuzma is having a bounceback season for the Milwaukee Bucks. His efficiency is up. His defense is better – more than that, he is has been their best wing defender. He’s not perfect or consistent, but for what he is, he has done the job.
In the bigger scheme of things, that also means Kuzma has boosted his worth on the open market. From a player no one wanted – one Milwaukee would have to compensate teams to take on – he has turned himself into a quality rotation piece. With the lack of reasonably priced wings available, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reports that Kuzma could have more value than the Bucks bargained for this trade season.
Bucks could parlay Kuzma’s success into picks to wager elsewhere
Writes Siegel, “The Bucks believe they can create a market for Kuzma between now and the trade deadline because the market for wing talents is very dry… Kyle Kuzma could become one of those mid tier contract guys that gets moved and winds up with another contending team.”
On the season, Kuzma is averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 51.5/32.9/73.1 splits. It’s modest production, but he is a contributing offensive player. On the other end of the floor, he is actually a weapon, capable of guarding a wide range of players, from bigger two-guards to power forwards. His poor shooting makes him a suboptimal fit on a roster built around Giannis Antetokounmpo, though the two have paired quite nicely when Giannis is healthy. Teams built around a different type of superstar would not have the same problem. Kuzma’s defense has been the crutch the Bucks have leaned on when facing larger wings.
Dec 14, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) dribbles the ball defended by Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Drake Powell (4) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Still, the Bucks would be happy to package Kuzma along with other salaries – Bobby Portis comes to mind – in order to land a star. Alternatively, they could flip him in a separate move to acquire assets that could then be used in a different maneuver. Whatever salary they returned in that deal could then be re-routed along with the accompanying draft picks/young talent, some form of the Bucks’ own draft assets, and Portis as the basis of an outgoing trade package.
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