On November 17, he recorded another double-double by scoring 30 points, to go with 10 rebounds, in a 122–113 loss to the Phoenix Suns. On November 3, 2017, in his first game as a starter, he notched his first double-double, with 21 points and 13 rebounds, in a 124–112 win over the Brooklyn Nets. He was also named the Summer League Championship Game MVP after recording a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 110–98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in the championship match. He recorded averages of 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game and was named to the All-Summer League Second Team that year. ĭuring the seven games he played for the Lakers (starting in six of the games) in the 2017 NBA Summer League, Kuzma led the team in points scored and became a consistent presence during the event. On July 3, 2017, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Lakers. Prior to the draft, Kuzma had been projected to go in the second round. In a draft-day trade, he was dealt along with Brook Lopez to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov. Kuzma was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Brooklyn Nets. Professional career Los Angeles Lakers (2017–2021) Kuzma graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in sociology. After the season, Kuzma decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft, foregoing his final year of college basketball eligibility. As a junior in 2016–17, he averaged 16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, which earned him first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He became a starter for the Utes in his sophomore year, when he averaged 10.8 points per game. He redshirted his freshman year due to the fact that he signed late. Kuzma enrolled at the University of Utah in 2013. Kuzma received offers to play with Division I schools including Connecticut, Iowa State, Tennessee, and Missouri, among others, before deciding on the University of Utah. As a high school senior at Rise Academy, Kuzma averaged 22 points and seven rebounds per game. Kuzma sent tapes of his shooting at the YMCA to preparatory schools Vin Sparacio, head coach at Rise Academy in Philadelphia, saw a 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 175 lb (79 kilograms), raw player who had a great feel for the game, and immediately brought him in. Kuzma attended Swartz Creek Community Schools and transferred to Bentley High School in Michigan, where he averaged 17.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.4 blocks per game as a junior. Kuzma has described Flint as "a really violent place there's a lot of temptation to get into the streets." However, Kuzma described basketball as his "safe haven". Karri Kuzma and Smith put a toy basketball rim in the living room for Kyle when he was only two years old, thus igniting his passion for basketball. Kuzma met his father only once as an infant, but viewed the father of his half-siblings, Larry Smith, as a father figure. He has a younger half-brother named Andre and a younger half-sister named Briana. Raised in the Flint, Michigan area, Kuzma is the son of Karri Kuzma, a high school shot put champion who attended college on a track scholarship. He won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020 before being traded to the Wizards in 2021. Kuzma was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft with the 27th overall pick, and he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. He played college basketball for the Utah Utes and was named first-team all-conference in the Pac-12 as a junior in 2016–17. Kyle Alexander Kuzma (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kyle Kuzma’s fashion game: What started as a desire to look sharp became part of his identity when he was drafted with the 27th pick in 2017 and he moved to Los Angeles.Kuzma with the Washington Wizards in 2022 Peace for Kristaps Porzingis: The big man called Washington the “perfect place” to help him reach his career goal because of the Wizards’ mix of young and veteran players. 2 on the Wizards’ offseason checklist.Ĭandace Buckner: Forget the excuses about lineup disruption, chemistry issues brought on by the massive trade-deadline makeover and Bradley Beal’s season-ending injury. Finding a permanent solution at point guard is No. Offseason needs: Securing Bradley Beal’s future is at the top of the organization’s to-do list. Wes Unseld’s first season: Players praised the coach’s even keel. Only in Washington do NBA stars get $251 million participation trophies, writes Candace Buckner. Beal gets the max: The 29-year-old guard agreed to a maximum contract that will cement him as the cornerstone of the franchise.
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