WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Wizards announced today that they have re-signed free agent forward Kyle Kuzma.
“I’m very excited to be back in Washington. It is truly an honor to have belief from Ted, Michael, Will and the entire organization to help lead the franchise into the future,” said Kuzma. “I’m dedicated to continuing to develop my skills on the court while helping to add value to the vision of the team’s direction moving forward.”
Kuzma, who will be entering his seventh NBA season, averaged career-highs of 21.2 points and 3.7 assists last season to go along with 7.2 rebounds and a .333 three-point percentage (making a career-high 2.5 three-pointers per contest) in 64 games with the Wizards in 2022-23. He also posted single-season highs in total field goals (512), three-pointers (160), assists (239) and points (1,357) last season while recording 14 double-doubles and one triple-double. Kuzma finished with 39 games of 20+ points and 10 games of 30+ points during the season, both personal bests.
“We spent time with Kyle over the last several weeks and were impressed with his commitment to his craft, desire to take on a leadership role, and passion for representing the Wizards,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “His versatility, resilience, and drive are all core characteristics of the type of player we want as part of our organization.”
Kuzma has appeared in 130 games for the Wizards overall, averaging 19.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 while shooting .336 from three-point range. He was originally acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, as part of a five-team trade on August 6, 2021. During his four seasons in Los Angeles, Kuzma averaged 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 276 games (146 starts) and was an integral part of the Lakers’ 2020 NBA Championship team.