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The Washington Wizards just dropped their first two games after the All-Star break, but it was by no fault of Kyle Kuzma.
The fifth-year forward went off for 70 points and 21 rebounds in those two contests combined. With Bradley Beal out for the season due to wrist surgery and new addition Kristaps Porzingis yet to suit up for the Wizards, Kuz has been the undisputed first option on the team.
Kyle Kuzma tonight:
34 PTS
13 REB
2 BLK
8-11 3P (career high)It’s his 2nd straight 30-point game (36/8/7 last night). pic.twitter.com/ntADKiBoGN
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 27, 2022
But as things stand, this is still Bradley Beal's team. The 3-time All-Star is still the top dog in the locker room barring a Kuzma-led coup.
While it's hard to let go of homegrown talent, the best things for the Washington Wizards is to move on from Bradley Beal. Here are three (3) reasons why Kyle Kuzma, not Bradley Beal should be the star the Wizards build around.
3 reasons why Wizards must build around Kyle Kuzma
#1 – Money
Let's face it, the world revolves around money. The NBA world is no different. There's no bigger factor as to why the Wizards must move on from Bradley Beal than the fact that he'll cost a boatload of money in the very near future if they keep him.
Because Bradley Beal made the All-NBA team last season, that unlocks the possibility of a supermax extension that increases the maximum amount the Wizards can offer him. The potential deal would be upwards of $240 million for five years, which is close to $50 million annually.
For as great of a player as Bradley Beal is, it's hard to say that he's worth that amount of money. If the Wizards are paying Beal that much for a player that could arguably be outside of the top 15 best players in the league, that doesn't leave much wiggle room to add pieces around him that would make D.C. a championship contender. That's the only goal worth pushing for, right?
Kyle Kuzma on the other hand is currently in year one of a 3-year, $39 million extension he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He's making just $13 million this season and the next, with the third year being a player option he will most likely decline if he continues to play at this rate. Kuz has played himself into a much bigger payday already, but given the small sample size he's probably not going to be seeking a max deal just yet.
If the Wizards can negotiate an extension that pays him in between the $20-25 million range, or even less than $30 million, that could prove to be a huge win if Kyle Kuzma is for real. At worst, it's not $50 million per year for a non-MVP candidate.
#2 – Career Age
Kyle Kuzma is indeed younger than Bradley Beal. Kuz is currently 26, while Brad is at 28. Two years is still a decent gap, but it's not exactly massive enough to warrant calling Kuzma the significantly younger prospect.
The difference lies in how long they've been in the league. This is just Kyle Kuzma's fifth season in the NBA, while Bradley Beal has played in exactly double that as he entered the league at the tender age of 19.
Beal has made the All-Star team numerous times and has build up a reputation as a star in this league. But it's likely we've seen the best of Bradley Beal already, which tops off as a player who's more suited as a secondary star rather than your franchise player.
Kyle Kuzma, on the other hand, seems to still be on the upswing for his career. With the ball in his hands as the team's primary weapon, he's been extremely productive both with his scoring and rebounding. He's also shown flashes as a much-improved defender with great size.
In the last 25 games, Kuz has averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while also shooting just shy of 50% from the field and an above average 38.5% from three. The sample size may be small, but Kyle Kuzma may be turning the corner as a rising star.
While he could end up falling short of what Bradley Beal has achieved in the long run, finding out what they have in Kyle Kuzma without breaking the bank on a Beal extension is the smart move for the Wizards.
#3 – Potential Return for Wizards
You may be thinking – “The Wizards already have both players now. Why would they have to choose when they can try and keep both?”
With Beal's looming supermax extension and Kyle Kuzma likely needing a new deal after next season, it'll be hard to maneuver around a roster that's paying Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma around $80 million per year. If your team's ultimate goal is to win a championship, you're not winning with that tandem as your two best players barring a massive leap from both guys.
Instead, it would be wise to figure out a way to find value for Bradley Beal. There were already rumors that Joel Embiid wanted the Wizards star in exchange for Ben Simmons before they ultimately traded him for James Harden. Simmons would have been a 25-year-old All-Star talent who's locked up long-term for much less than what Beal would want annually.
While that ship has sailed, it proves how much teams value Bradley Beal. Had Washington offered a package centered around Kyle Kuzma, Daryl Morey likely would not have stayed on the line for long. He may be on the rise, but Kuz just doesn't have the name value that Bradley Beal does at this point.
The Wizards have some major decisions to make when it comes to the direction of their franchise. It's definitely going to be an interesting offseason in D.C.
