Kyle Kuzma gave Washington Wizards fans three and a half fun seasons of highlights and strong overall play as he developed into a top scoring option. But now, after Kuzma's half-season he spent with the Milwaukee Bucks after leaving the nation's capitol, things haven't exactly been going according to plan.
There are absolutely some Wizards fans that are still silently rooting on Kuzma and hoping for his success. But if there's any haters out there, you're probably really relishing in the moment right about now.
And if anything, the haters are probably those that are just glad to see the downfall of the Bucks, not necessarily of Kuzma in particluar. But in any event, it's not exactly a secret that Kyle didn't have the greatest second half of his season after joining Milwaukee.
Bucks fans were severely disappointed in his performance after a decent amount of hype followed his trade deadline saga. As rumors were swirling, it seemed several contenders were interested in adding him, and the squads that missed out were going to walk away let down.
Kuzma's rough start in Milwaukee can still be reversed
Now, that narrative has flipped around significantly. The opinion of the average NBA fan concerning Kuzma now seems to be far more negative than it was at any point during his Wizards tenure. Bucks fans are feeling like they're in a bad spot now largely because of Kyle's contract.
Kuzma is set to earn north of $42 million over the next two seasons combined. That is a considerable amount for a guy who didn't quite settle into his role alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo right away, and who Milwaukee is trusting to be among their top scoring options next season.
Still, there's time for this to be corrected. Often, things like this come down to fit and comfortability, and Kuzma getting off to a rough start with the Bucks doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad roster fit. He may just need some time to acclimate, and 2025-26 could be a real bounce-back campaign for him.
Things don't look great for the former Wizard right now, but there's reason to think his fortunes could change in the near future.