The Miami Heat made a significant midseason shakeup by trading Kyle Lowry for Terry Rozier. Rozier is younger than Lowry and provides greater offensive potential, but that may not be enough. If the Heat are still looking for help, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley offered a trade that would include Kyle Kuzma.
Buckley offered the following deal between the Heat and the Washington Wizards in a January 26 article.
Heat receive: Kuzma
Wizards receive: Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic, 2028 First-Round pick swap, 2026 Second-Round Pick
Buckley discussed why the Heat would want Kuzma on their roster.
“Kuzma would provide them with another scoring option, as he can make his own shots or locate them for others. His three-ball is a little wobbly, but he can stay around league average at (a) reasonable volume. He’s provided some defensive variety when he’s been a part of winning teams.”
Kuzma helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2020 NBA Championship and has progressed as a wing scorer over time. Kuzma is averaging a career-high 21.8 points per game, shooting 45.7% from the field and 33.8% from three.
The Wizards are 8-37 and have begun to rebuild. If they make Kuzma available, they may look to see if they can get a better trade than what the Heat would offer here.
Wizards ‘Reticent’ With Kyle Kuzma: Report
Since their season isn’t going anywhere, the Wizards should trade Kyle Kuzma. However, for the moment, they are not hurrying any trades. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN stated on his podcast on January 23 that the Wizards haven’t shown much interest in trading.
“Washington has been very reticent with Kyle Kuzma,” Wojnarowski stated on his show, as transcribed by RealGM. People are calling them. Teams tell me they’ve called, but they haven’t received any counters from Washington. You can register an offer for Kuzma. But they don’t appear to be actively attempting to move him right now.
Wojnarowski said that, while things may change, the Wizards’ executives enjoy having Kuzma around.
“It could change before the deadline, but I know Michael Winger and Will Dawkins appreciate Kuzma and enjoy having him there. I believe they will be particular about what they do.
Kuzma is in the first year of a four-year, $90 million contract, which becomes less expensive with each passing year.
Ayo Dosumu Floated as Heat Trade Target
Kyle Kuzma isn’t the only player the Heat could target before the NBA trade deadline. In a January 24 story, Buckley highlighted why the Heat should consider signing Ayo Dosunmu.
“Dosunmu could be an improvement over Josh Richardson, helping to cover for some of the defensive deficiencies of a Rozier-Tyler Herro backcourt,” Buckley said in his article.
Regardless of his deterioration, losing Kyle Lowry harms the Heat’s defense. Dosunmu and Kuzma could help the Heat plug that hole. While the Heat might benefit from increased scoring efficiency from players like Rozier and Kuzma, having solid defenders could also boost their title hopes.
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