Kyle Kuzma is being paid $22.4 million by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025-26. Against the Boston Celtics on Monday, despite being completely healthy, that paycheck was collected for sitting on the bench. It was the first DNP - Coach's Decision of his nine-year NBA career during the regular season.
The former Los Angeles Lakers champion has missed time with injury, has not dressed, but never has it been a coach's decision to simply hold him out of a game. That was the call made by Bucks head coach Doc Rivers. Mind you, Milwaukee got rolled in this matchup too.
The Celtics won a decisive 108-81 matchup over the Bucks in Milwaukee's arena. 14 players touched the court for Rivers' team in the one-sided loss. Kuzma was just not one of them.
Kyle Kuzma was willingly held out of an NBA game for the first time
Eric Nehm, who covers the Bucks for The Athletic, confirmed after the game was over there were no added factors of health or otherwise to the decision. Rivers just held him out.
Kuzma has averaged 26.5 minutes per game in 56 appearances for the Bucks during the current campaign. The Milwaukee forward has posted 12.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in those contests, shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
The numbers themselves certainly do not suggest Kuzma is unplayable altogether. Neither does the atrocious depth of the Bucks roster. The overall consensus of that move in Milwaukee circles is that of the same confusion everyone else has.
Kuzma is by no means the best version of himself anymore. His performances with the Bucks have been a mixed bag this season. The former Lakers forward has enjoyed standout games like the ones on Nov. 14, Dec. 11, and Mar. 3. However, there have definitely been plenty of lowlights as well.
Even so, was Kuzma really bad enough to sit for a team that features as depleted of a roster as the Bucks do?
Not only that but his recent stretch of performances had no real indicator as to why a benching was warranted. Kuzma scored double digits in the last four games, averaging 15.8 points per game, while connecting on 50.0 percent of his field goal attempts and 48.0 percent from deep.
The former Laker still has one more season left on his current contract beyond 2025-26. The $20.3 million owed to Kuzma in 2026-27 is nearly all guaranteed too. If Rivers does not meaningfully have him in his plans moving forward, that will quickly stick out as an ugly situation for both sides.