It has been a disappointing season for the Washington Wizards. The team from the capital city of the US started off well, winning ten out of their first 13 games. After that, however, it has all gone downhill and even trading for Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline did not help. The Wizards are out of playoff contention with a 34-43 record. Since trading for Porzingis, they are 7-12 and just need to move on from this season. To help them truly move on, here is a list of three players that the Wizards must trade in the 2022 NBA offseason.
Wizards trade candidates
It was a great start for the Japanese player in the NBA. Hachimura was the 9th pick and had an immediate impact, averaging 13.5 points per game for the Wizards in the 2019-20 season. It was much of the same in the 2020-21 season, where he increased the average to 13.8 points, shot a better percentage from the field and from three-point land, and he looked primed for a breakout year. Then, as the season was starting, it was announced that Hachimura would miss the first part of the season due to some personal issues. It was never revealed what the issues were, but Hachimura has played just 37 games this season, and he has not looked good, falling down to just 10.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. If there was ever a time to trade him, it is now.
It just makes sense across the board. The Wizards are not in the business of waiting for prospects, as their dynamic duo of Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis are 28 and 26, respectively. Additionally, it will be Hachimura's fourth season, which means he will be a free agent in the summer of 2023. Thus, the 2022 offseason, and up until the 2023 trade deadline, is the last chance to trade him for any kind of value. He is still an efficient wing scorer who can get hot if given the time and dedication of a team. The Wizards, with their roster timeline, are simply not that team and the Japanese international should be aggressively shopped around the league in the upcoming summer.
Avdija is somewhat of a similar case to Hachimura. Interestingly enough, both of these guys were ninth picks, both had some great moments, but both really should not be on the roster anymore. Now, for Avdija, he has had much less opportunity to play than Hachimura. This is his second season and his first one was fairly disappointing, averaging just 6.3 points in 23.3 minutes per contest. The second one saw the Israeli player take a minor step forward, but as said above, the Wizards are not really in the business of patience. They need help right away and if that means trading Avdija, then so be it.
It is actually fairly strange that the Wizards insisted on bringing Avdija to the NBA. When he was drafted in 2020, the Israeli forward was just 19, which is a tender age for a physically underdeveloped forward. If he was a center that can rely on his height to survive his first few years in the league, that would have been somewhat acceptable, but the main issue Avdija faces is just the lack of physicality. His six-foot-nine frame is just not filled out with just 260 pounds of weight and it will just take time for him to fully develop his NBA game. Thus, the Wizards need to look to trade him to a team that will give him a chance. He deserves a true opportunity in the NBA, as his talent is visible. The Wizards need instant help pieces for their playoff fight next season.
Kuzma is going to be a controversial pick. He has been great at times for the Wizards this season, putting up monster games. He put up over 30 points on three occasions this season, including two 36-point games. On the season, he is averaging a cool 17.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while shooting 45.2% from the field and 34.1% from behind the arc. These are okay numbers, but they are also likely the best Kuzma can do at this point in his career. If he had All-Star potential, those couple of more modest seasons in Los Angeles slowed him down to the point where this is the top of his game. That, however, does not mean that there will be no takers for the forward, and the Wizards should sell high on the former Laker.
One more major reason why the Wizards should trade Kuzma is the inclusion of Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup. According to StatMuse, the Wizards are 1-5 when both Porzingis and Kuzma play. Granted, it is a very small number of games, but that can't be ignored. Porzingis wants to play forward primarily and Kuzma cannot be the small forward, because the Wizards would suffer too much on the defensive end. With Porzingis being the former All-Star and a guy that could be the other end of the one-two punch with Bradley Beal, Kuzma seems like the prime candidate for a trade. It is a good time for a trade, as the Wizards would be selling very high on him, so they should really pull the trigger this offseason.
Follow Us
Subscribe
