Bucks 'Still Believe' in Kyle Kuzma Following Worst Playoff Stretch of His Career

Bucks 'Still Believe' in Kyle Kuzma Following Worst Playoff Stretch of His Career originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Milwaukee Bucks made a crucial decision by trading for Kyle Kuzma last season. The Bucks traded Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards to provide Giannis Antetokounmpo with a productive co-star. Kuzma didn't have the best start with the Bucks, but gradually found his rhythm in the 33 games he played for the team.

The 2020 champion averaged 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds with the Bucks during the regular season. Beyond the arc, he only made 33.4% of his shots. However, that became worse during the five games Milwaukee played in the 2025 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.

Kuzma struggled to be a threat offensively and registered his worst postseason stretch. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 5.8 points and 2.2 rebounds.

Kyle Kuzma double-clutch three from 55 feet to beat the buzzer! pic.twitter.com/DTeGCpvqId

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 21, 2025

The former Wizards forward shot 34.3% from the field and 20% from downtown, which did not help the Bucks, as they went on to lose in the first round in five games.

Even with that, however, the Bucks still believe that they made the right call by trading for him. In an interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, the organization's general manager, Jon Horst, discussed Kuzma's future.

Horst said that he thinks Kuzma gives the team a chance to play around with a lot of bigger lineups. He also said that the former No. 27 pick is impactful to the offense once he gets into his scoring rhythm.

"We still believe in Kyle. He struggled. He hadn’t been to the playoffs in a while either. And I thought he played great for us for most of the regular season after we acquired him and I think he struggled in the playoffs," Horst said.

Horst said that Kuzma just needs time to get familiarized with Rivers' system and where he fits in.

"I think the biggest thing with Kyle is just getting the familiarity, working with our coaches in the off-season."

Kuzma will have his chance to share the floor with Antetokounmpo for an entire season for the first time. The former Utah star was brought in from Washington, where the organization didn't have championship aspirations. He was immediately part of Milwaukee, a team trying to contend for an NBA title.

Related: Bucks' Jon Horst to 'Figure Out a Deal' For Undrafted Guard's Contract Extension

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.