Coming off a season in which he set career-highs in scoring and assists, Kyle Kuzma is set to hit the open market.
Kuzma has declined his $13 million player option with the Washington Wizards and will become a free agent, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday.
The 27-year-old forward has never been a free agent, so he’s undoubtedly looking to capitalize on a strong season and secure a lucrative contract somewhere.
“Kuzma will be one of the marketplace’s most prominent players. A return to Washington on a new deal remains a possibility,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
ESPN Sources: As expected, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has declined his $13 million player option and become a free agent. Kuzma will be one of the marketplace’s most prominent players. A return to Washington on a new deal remains a possibility.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2023
After spending his first four professional seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he made the All-Rookie Team in 2017-18 and helped the organization win the 2020 NBA Finals, Kuzma was shipped to Washington as part of the Russell Westbrook deal in August 2021.
In his first season with the Wizards, Kuzma averaged 17.1 points and a career-high 8.5 rebounds per game. He followed that up with a career-best 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per outing in 2022-23.
Kuzma will turn 28 next month and has career averages of 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per appearance.