The Washington Wizards have a real dilemma on their hands on the Kyle Kuzma front. He currently has two more years remaining on his current deal including this season, but the catch is that he has a player option for next year. This means that unless the Wizards sign him to an extension, he could very well decide to walk away from the team this summer as a free agent.
NBA insider Shams Charania has provided an intriguing update with regard to Kuzma's future in Washington. Shams acknowledged the possibility of a trade away from the Wizards if the team ultimately decides that they don't want to table a big-money extension for the 27-year-old. At this point, however, Shams believes that Washington will do what it can to keep Kuzma on board for the long haul:
“This is a guy that you want to continue to build around because you know that there's a price threshold you're gonna have to get to to retain him,” Shams said. “It's gonna be 20 (million) or more. So, they're gonna have to make a decision getting close to the trade deadline. … But right now they want Kuzma to work. They want this Big 3 that they formed to be formidable in the East.”
Shams did mention the possibility of the Wizards going for a guy like John Collins, with the Atlanta Hawks potentially emerging as a possible trade destination for Kuzma. The NBA guru also noted that Kuzma, who himself has been balling out this season, is likely going to demand an annual income of $20 million per year as he seeks a new lucrative deal.
Former NBA star turned FanDuel TV analyst Chandler Parsons then chimed in to share his two cents worth on the situation. Parsons believes that the Wizards will end up paying Kuzma in order to keep him in Washington:
“I think they keep him just because there's not really a destination. No one really wants to go there,” Parsons said. “… Ignorance is bliss with him. He's got confidence. He thinks he's a star… I don't think he's ever a 1 or 2 option on a championship team. I don't ever think he's an All-Star, but he's gonna get paid. He's gonna get $100 million, and he deserves it.”
"Ignorance is bliss with him. He's got confidence. He thinks he's a star… I don't think he's ever a 1 or 2 option on a championship team. I don't ever think he's an All-Star, but he's gonna get paid."
Chandler Parsons on Kyle Kuzma 🤔
(via @FanDuelTV)pic.twitter.com/iZbyUnplSn
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 7, 2022
Parsons got brutally honest with his view on Kyle Kuzma and how the former believes that the 6-foot-9 forward just isn't star material. Parsons sees Kuz as more of a role player on a contender as opposed to being one of the top options on a squad like the Wizards.
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