Getty Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards celebrates after the Wizards defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 105-100 at Capital One Arena
The looming questions over the Brooklyn Nets and their superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant appear to be over, and the team is going to try to make a run for a championship in the upcoming 2022-23 NBA season. Neither star was traded, and their roster is coming into place. They were said to be interested in adding a veteran center, but that looks to be on hold to give Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe a chance as well as the awaited Ben Simmons at center minutes. If they look to need veteran help in their frontcourt, both Dwight Howard and Hassan Whiteside have been names swirling around the Nets franchise.
While their team looks to be set at the moment, it’s already been reported that the Nets are believed to be likely to trade either Seth Curry or Joe Harris at this season’s trade deadline. They didn’t trade Durant or Irving, but one NBA executive believes the team may seek to add another player for its run this season and linked a forward from the Washington Wizards to the team.
Kyle Kuzma Linked to Brooklyn Nets by NBA Executive
In a recent column by Heavy’s NBA Insider Sean Deveney, multiple trade scenarios were discussed, and the Nets found themselves in more than one, but one of the most interesting pieces from the article was an Eastern Conference executive linking the Nets to Washington forward Kyle Kuzma. The Wizards have some financial motivation to trade Kuzma, and the Nets have a promising young player they can send in the deal.
Western Conference executive: “They need to cut out some salary but obviously they want to do that while also adding someone young to the mix. The Bulls are, again, in the market for depth at the position so there is a possibility, though they do not want to mess with the luxury tax either. But that could be a Coby White destination. Dallas is just trying to get better players across the board. They can give up an unprotected pick for him and match up the salaries. Kyle’s still fairly young (27), and that has appeal for a team like Dallas. And Brooklyn, I don’t think they’re done. They like their young guys but let’s face it, the clock on this team is running short, and they need to win now. Cam Thomas or Day’Ron Sharpe, someone like that would be a draw for the Wizards.”
Deveney’s proposal saw them parting with Seth Curry and Cam Thomas in exchange for Kuzma.
Does the Deal Make Sense?
The Kyle Kuzma proposal is an interesting one. He had a solid year for the Wizards last season, where he averaged 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting over 45% from the field. They are definitely impressive numbers, but that’s in Washington, where his role is much different than it would be on the Nets. In Brooklyn, his role would be more comparable to Kuzma’s last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where there is a significant difference averaging 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on the LeBron James and Anthony Davis-led Lakers squad. Kuzma brings an interesting element defensively. He shoots decent from three point range (34%).
It’s hard to say this deal makes sense. The Nets would lose the three point shooting of Curry and the upside of Thomas for a player that plays very similar to Ben Simmons with better shooting but without the elite playmaking of Simmons. This feels like a forced fit, and it’s too hard to define what Kuzma would bring to this team consistently.