Wizards Star Confirms He'll Opt-Out To Become Free Agent

When he signed his current contract in 2021, he was coming off two down seasons. Now, soaring in a career year, and with the chance to opt-out and significantly increase his paycheck, Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma says he'll be doing just that. 

REPORT: Kyle Kuzma has said “he does not expect to sign an extension with the Wizards and plans to decline his player option for the 2023-24 season to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”

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— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 16, 2022

According to Ava Wallace in The Washington Post, Kuzma says "he does not expect to sign an extension with the Wizards and plans to decline his player option for the 2023-24 season to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”

This jibes with an earlier rumor we reported on this month that claimed that Kuzma "wants out" of DC, and wants at least $20M per year, with a contender or in a big market. 

Kuzma, 27, has become a key piece for the Wizards, averaging a career-high 21.4 points, with 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Will general manager Tommy Sheppard decide to get something in return and trade Kuzma by the Feb. 9th trade deadline? 

The Wizards are in a tailspin, having lost eight games in a row to drop far out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, at 11-18. If they can't turn it around in the next two months, a trade certainly seems like a possibility. 

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