Bucks' Kuzma: 'It was my time' to leave Wizards

Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma said it was the right time to accept a trade from his former team, the Washington Wizards.

"I think the writing was on the wall in a sense here, and (I'm) not saying that was a good or a bad thing," Kuzma said after Friday's 104-101 over his ex-squad, according to The Athletic's Josh Robbins. "You know, I think everything in life really has an expiration date, and it was my time to go, and it was my time to go (in a way that was) beneficial to all parties involved.

"This organization (Washington) has a bright future. They have a plan that they're trying to accomplish with the rebuild and growing and developing these players, and they're doing a great job."

The Wizards traded Kuzma to the Bucks in a deal that sent former All-Star Khris Middleton to Washington earlier in February.

Kuzma, 29, joined the Wizards in 2021 via trade from the Los Angeles Lakers. Over three-and-a-half seasons, he averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. However, the team was rarely competitive - Washington went 15-67 last campaign.

"I wouldn't trade this experience and being here and being a Wizard for anything," Kuzma said. "I think it was a great time for me, a time of growth, a time of figuring out who I am as a person. That's something that I, obviously, didn't really know too much when I was younger in L.A. Being here and being much more calm here, (this is) a place where you can kind of figure those type(s) of things out, grow as a man, become a man. I tightened up on being a pro. This experience for the last three-and-a-half years was everything for me."

Kuzma led the Bucks in scoring against the Wizards, recording 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

In six games with the Bucks, Kuzma is averaging 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Milwaukee is 4-2 since acquiring the former championship-winning forward.