The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to keep their win streak to start the 2025-26 season alive as they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. But if the Bucks hope to go 3-0 to start the year, they are probably going to have to do so short-handed. Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma popped up on the team’s injury report against the Cavs with a change in his previous status.
Kyle Kuzma was officially downgraded to doubtful against the Cavs on the Bucks injury report, the team announced. Kuzma was originally listed as questionable due to an ankle injury. He suffered the injury early in the fourth quarter of the Bucks’ win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, and did not return to the game. Kuzma went up to contest a shot and came down awkwardly on his ankle.
Kuzma completed his first full training camp and preseason with the Bucks after being acquired in a trade last season in the same deal that shipped Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards. Kuzma was solid for the Bucks after the trade, but suffered a thumb injury during their opening round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers that limited his production. The Bucks would lose that series in five games.
Following the trade, Kuzma appeared in 32 games at a little over 31 minutes per game. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists with splits of 45.5 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 66.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Through the Bucks’ first two games of the season, Kuzma had been averaging 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocked shots with splits of 60 percent shooting from the field and 100 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Kuzma is now in his ninth season in the NBA after being selected with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He played his first four seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Lakers, playing a key role in the team’s 2020 championship run.
