Kyle Kuzma’s return to Wizards once seemed a foregone conclusion. Not anymore.

Just before the end of the Washington Wizards’ season, Kyle Kuzma met with then-general manager Tommy Sheppard to discuss the forward’s future. As they gathered in Sheppard’s office overlooking the team’s practice courts, the two men appeared to be on the same page: The Wizards would pay up to retain the talented forward in free agency. 

Then Sheppard got fired. And what once seemed like a foregone conclusion — re-signing Kuzma — suddenly is anything but. 

NBA free agency begins Friday, with Kuzma one of the more intriguing players available on the market. Kuzma re-signing with Washington could still be a possibility — the Wizards can offer him the most money — but the team’s hard pivot to a rebuild now makes that more of a question than it was two months ago. 

If Kuzma doesn’t re-up with Washington, there are plenty of places where the 27-year-old makes a lot of sense:

Sacramento Kings: Coming off a surprising campaign in which they finished as the 48-34 third seed in the West, the Kings are poised to make a splash in free agency. 

Last week, Sacramento dumped Richaun Holmes’ contract and the 24th pick in the draft to clear up additional cap room — and are now projected to have $35 million in cap space. The Kings reportedly plan to chase Golden State’s Draymond Green, but they’ve been linked to Kuzma as well given that Green is expected to re-up with the Warriors. 

According to Yahoo Sports, Kuzma has gained “plenty of momentum” with the Kings’ front office. On paper, Kuzma would fit nicely in an offense that ranked as the most efficient in NBA history last season. Crucially, though, Kuzma is a solid defender who would help strengthen the Kings’ ability to defend on the wing. 

Yahoo Sports reported that Kuzma is seeking a deal worth at least $30 million annually. That’s a hefty price tag — and one Kuzma may not be able to find — but if a team does offer him that big of a deal, the Kings could afford it. 

Sacramento, too, has shown an interest in Kuzma before. In 2021, Los Angeles almost had a deal in place to send Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell to the Kings — but the pair (along with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) was ultimately traded to Washington for Russell Westbrook. 

Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies don’t have significant salary cap space, but they are well-positioned to absorb a talented player in a sign-and-trade due to their treasure trove of prospects who could be appealing to a rebuilding team like the Wizards. 

Kuzma would help solve Memphis’ problems scoring in the halfcourt. Last season, Kuzma averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game on 44.8% shooting.  The Grizzlies, as a team, had the league’s 11th-best offensive rating (114.7), but struggled when the pace slowed and they weren’t able to get out in transition. Kuzma can create his own shot and has proven to be an effective spot-up shooter (nearly 50% on catch-and-shoot jumpers).

The Grizzlies have already made a notable trade this offseason by acquiring guard Marcus Smart from Boston. That could prevent them from pursuing Kuzma, but Memphis is a contender trying to build around a team led by Ja Morant. After being upset in the first round last season — and with Morant’s 25-game suspension — the Grizzlies need to retool. 

Dallas Mavericks: According to the Action Network’s Matt Moore, the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks have shown interest in Kuzma. The Jazz, though, recently acquired forward John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks — which leaves Dallas still a possibility. 

Kuzma would fill the void left by Dorien Finney-Smith, a versatile forward who was traded to Brooklyn in a package for Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks don’t have the cap room to outright sign Kuzma, but they could navigate a sign-and-trade. 

In Dallas, Kuzma would be the third option behind star Luka Doncic and Irving — the latter of whom is also a free agent who the Mavericks are expected to retain. 

The Mavericks made the conference finals in 2022. But after missing the playoffs last season, Dallas is expected to be aggressive this offseason in an attempt to get back into contention. 

Even after trading Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, the Wizards can’t be ruled out from re-signing Kuzma. For one, ESPN reported that the team still has an interest in keeping Kuzma even after dealing his two co-stars. And Washington can offer the 27-year-old the biggest contract of any team. 

At first, glance, keeping Kuzma might not make sense for a team actively trying to get worse. But there’s always the possibility that Kuzma takes the money now, and Washington tries to trade him later to gain additional assets. 

Kuzma also liked playing for Washington because the team allowed him to be more than just the role player he was in Los Angeles.

“It’s not about money,” Kuzma said in April. “I’m going to get paid regardless anywhere [I go] and here, too. It’s about, ‘Can I come into work every day and be the best version of myself?’”