Leaving the kitchen, Shepard spoke candidly on Washington’s preseason finale day in an interview on Oct. 14.
Kyle Kuzma recently joined Sheppard to voice the quieter parts. In an interview this week, following the statement he made, athleticKuzma said he has no plans to sign an extension with the Wizards and plans to decline the player option for the 2023-24 season to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Kuzma’s intentions come as no surprise to the Wizards, where the 27-year-old Kuzma has become a core player. His earning potential will increase if Kuzma enters the free agency market. With $208 million tied to Biel over the next four seasons and Kristaps Porzingis also holding a player option for next season, Kuzma could be traded for a valuable asset at the Feb. 9 trade deadline. I can do it.
“It’s just a business decision,” Kuzma said.
Kuzma has taken another step forward in his growth this season, making him an attractive choice for free-agent suitors and trade partners across the league.
He never shied away from that fact. A painful trade from the Los Angeles Lakers In July 2021, he saw joining the Wizards as an opportunity to expand his game. Washington has plenty of room for players to step up alongside Beal, and Kuzma appreciated the quiet market that allowed him to focus and go to work.
The forward is averaging career-best minutes per game (35), points per game (21.4) and field goal percentage (46.2), notably Beal out with hamstring injuryKuzma has grown accustomed to her pre- and post-match routines.
“Last year really gave me a taste of how well I could do in this league and we had one stretch where everyone was out, so it gave me a lot of confidence. I had to and I think that really helped me prepare my mindset for this year,” Kuzma said. It starts after the game and starts with what you eat, exercise, and recover in the morning and the day before.
“Those things, they’re all important. And that’s probably why I’ve been so consistent this year. My motor is steady night after night.”
Kuzma’s prospects for his career were formed in Los Angeles. The Wizards (11-18) will try to stop his eight-game losing streak this weekend against the Clippers on Saturday or the Lakers on Sunday.
Trade to Washington was a moment of forced growth. Kuzma knew the NBA was a business. But what he knows and feels the harsh reality of an unexpected life-uprooting deal are two different things: Kuzma left Los Angeles with some of his innocence.
But it was the Lakers’ 2019-20 championship season that was most formative for the forward. Kuzma spotted a roll where his shots would be valued. He was a player and understood what it takes for an NBA club to work together and in harmony.
It’s clear how much that season affected Kuzma. When he was asked at Media Day earlier in the season about his favorite part of the Wizards’ player-only minicamp over the summer, he referred to his former team.
His answer wasn’t about basketball, but the fact that his teammates would get together after each day’s work to hang out, get to know each other in a relaxed setting, and naturally build chemistry… The Lakers.
When asked how his experience with the Lakers shaped his outlook on his career, Kuzma gave an apt answer for an NBA player. But unlike many players, Kuzma knows what it really looks like.
“I got a taste of winning when I was younger, but people always have the chance to win and you’re not always on a team that wins in this league. It’s a lot rarer than people think,” Kuzma said. said. “Don’t take winning for granted. , I’m not saying it’s always been a happy place to work. But everyone was on the same page and everyone knew what had to be done and tried to do it. A rarity in this league Thing”
