Kyle Kuzma is going through it again. Last season, Kuzma found himself as the subject of a trade rumor when he was a member of the Washington Wizards. Kuzma was traded before the trade deadline last season, being moved to the Milwaukee Bucks. Now, Kuzma is once again on the trade block amid rumors of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
Kuzma spoke about the struggles of dealing with trade rumors. Being in the league for around nine years now, the Bucks forward is used to the noise now.
“This is year 9, “Kuzma said in his post-game interview after the Bucks' win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. “I've been in trade deadlines ever since I came into the NBA. We're all human, and you can't really escape it, you can't escape the talks, you can't escape the parlay…if you get traded the next day whoop-dee-do.”
Kuzma is no stranger to trade rumors. Shortly after he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017, Kuzma was subject to rumors as a potential trade chip for a potential second star behind LeBron James. The forward eventually survived the trade rumors after LA traded for Anthony Davis, and Kuzma became an integral part of the Lakers' championship in 2020. However, Kuzma was traded the following year to the Wizards for Russell Westbrook.
Kuzma spent the next four years on the Wizards. The forward was still the subject of trade rumors in Washington, in particular due to his reported disinterest in the team. Kuzma was eventually traded to the Bucks during the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline. Kuzma is averaging 13.7 points per game as a member of the Bucks.
With Antetokounmpo's seemingly inevitable departure from Milwaukee, the Bucks are evaluating the rest of their roster. Kuzma is one of the candidates to be traded. The veteran forward is unlikely to be featured in Milwaukee's future plans, after all. We'll see if Kuzma will be playing on a different team after the trade deadline passes on Thursday.
