"To match the amount of basketball talent he has" - NBA fans react to Kyle Kuzma claiming No. 0 jersey after Damian Lillard's departure from Bucks

Kyle Kuzma will be switching jerseys to No. 0 for the Milwaukee Bucks. As reported by league numerologist Etienne Catalan on Tuesday, Kuzma will take over the number most recently worn by Damian Lillard after he was waived by the Bucks during the offseason.

Fans on social media reacted to the news. One on X (formerly called Twitter) mocked the decision:

"Clever! 0 to match the amount of basketball talent he has!"

cinephile matt (SINNERS superfan)

@cinephile_matt

LINK

Clever! 0 to match the amount of basketball talent he has!

Other fans on X also shared the same sentiment:

mithril⚔️

@0xmithril77

LINK

that's how much points he'll be getting in some games

b🥷

@BronCheated

LINK

Clown move, did that as if swapping numbers gonna bring his juice back

Zak☘️

@ZakKnowsBall68

LINK

It’s for all the points he put up after the first round this past season

The mockery kept coming from fans on the social media platform:

Aman Hailu

@AmanHailu

LINK

He switched to 0 to show how many points, assists and rebounds he is going to have

Flagg Hag

@ThisGuy_972

LINK

Is this reflective of how much he's going to contribute to the team next year?

Kuzma was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Bucks in February 2025. He wore the No. 18 for the remainder of the season, and with Lillard on the team, the No. 0 was unavailable.

However, after the Bucks released and stretched Damian Lillard, Kuzma is reclaiming his original number (he also wore No. 0 while with the LA Lakers) and switching from 18 to 0 for the upcoming season.

He had a mixed debut season in Milwaukee. Kuzma averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the regular season but delivered a historically poor Game 1 in the playoffs with zero counting stats in 22 minutes.

---

What’s next for Kyle Kuzma?

Kyle Kuzma was expected to fit in comfortably alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard last season. However, that didn’t go as planned, as his trade from the Wizards proved to be a disaster.

Nonetheless, GM Jon Horst and the Bucks still view Kuzma as a valuable piece and expect a better year ahead.

“We still believe in Kyle. He struggled. He hadn’t been to the playoffs in a while either," Horst said. "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."

Kyle Kuzma is expected to resume his role as the third scoring option, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and new signing Myles Turner. However, he will likely move more toward his natural position as power forward, which the front office believes is a better fit than the small forward role he played last season.

One major reason Kuzma was acquired last season was his expiring contract in 2026–27 (about $20 million). He will provide the Bucks with valuable cap flexibility to facilitate trades or retool the roster.

GM Horst hasn’t ruled anything out, and Kyle Kuzma is seen as a potential trade chip, particularly at the 2026–27 trade deadline, if the Bucks want to upgrade or clear space.

Next season will be make-or-break for the former Lakers player, as further decline will lead the front office to leverage him as a trade asset.