Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kyle Kuzma

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Kyle Kuzma made an impact.

Kyle Kuzma is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He played college basketball at Utah, earning first-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12. Kuzma was drafted 27th overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, where he made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2018. He won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020 before being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2021.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2016: All-Pac-12 Honors

During the 2016-17 season, Kyle Kuzma averaged 16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game as a junior, earning him first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

2016: All-Pac-12 First Team Selection

In 2016, Kyle Kuzma was named first-team all-conference in the Pac-12 as a junior playing college basketball for the Utah Utes.

July 3, 2017: Signing Rookie Contract with the Lakers

On July 3, 2017, Kyle Kuzma signed his rookie scale contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after being traded to them from the Brooklyn Nets on draft day.

November 3, 2017: First NBA Double-Double

On November 3, 2017, Kyle Kuzma notched his first NBA double-double, with 21 points and 13 rebounds, in a win over the Brooklyn Nets.

2017: NBA Draft Entry

After the 2016-2017 season, Kyle Kuzma decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft, foregoing his final year of college basketball eligibility.

2017: NBA Draft and Professional Debut

In 2017, Kyle Kuzma was selected in the first round of the NBA draft with the 27th overall pick.

2017: NBA Summer League Performance and Championship

In 2017, during the NBA Summer League, Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers in points, averaging 21.9 points per game, and was named to the All-Summer League Second Team. He was also named the Summer League Championship Game MVP after recording 30 points and 10 rebounds in the championship match.

October 22, 2018: Season-High 37 Points

On October 22, 2018, Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 37 points against the San Antonio Spurs in an overtime loss.

2018: Rising Stars Challenge and All-Rookie Selection

In 2018, Kyle Kuzma played in the Rising Stars Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team at the end of the season.

2018: NBA All-Rookie First Team Selection

In 2018, Kyle Kuzma was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team with the Los Angeles Lakers.

January 9, 2019: Career-High 41 Points

On January 9, 2019, Kyle Kuzma scored a career-high 41 points against the Detroit Pistons. He was also selected again for the Rising Stars game and earned MVP honors after scoring a game-high 35 points.