Nick Crain | 3/18/23

The NBA is a business, as players and teams are always looking for ways to improve future value. Especially for players that are due for a new contract in the near future, every game matters as they build up their value for an upcoming contract. One player that has really set himself up for a significant payday this summer is Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards. He’s got a player option of $13 million for the 2023-24 season and can opt out to hit free agency this summer. This would be a smart move for him, as he’ll likely earn a payday worth much more than that annually and over a longer period of time. As of today, Kuzma is worth over double what he’s being paid at roughly $30 million based on ProFitX models. While we do project his value will decrease some next season, it’s still well above the $13 million figure he’s set to earn under his current contract. Kuzma did come into the league as an older prospect, entering his rookie season at 22 years old. A late first-round pick, he spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to the Wizards. While he has been inconsistent at times throughout individual seasons, his overall body of work is quite impressive. When looking at his career as a whole. the development and performance value is positive and fairly linear. Although Washington likely won’t make the postseason, Kuzma is still putting up impressive numbers and impacting winning at a high level. He’s averaging a career high 21.0 points per game to go along with 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The Wizards view Kuzma as part of their core moving forward and have already indicated they plan on keeping him around longer term. When the time does come this summer for Kuzma to make a decision on his player option for next season, expect him to opt out even if his intentions are to return to Washington. Our models predict he should be worth something in the neighborhood $22 million per season on his next deal. As he continues to improve at age 27, Kuzma is one of the more underrated players in the NBA.