The Washington Wizards got a head start on the NBA trade deadline madness soon to come by trading away Rui Hachimura amid rumors of his discontent. Amidst the Wizards apparent willingness to swing for trades, the spotlight now shines on what they'll do with their other desirable forwards in Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis.
The Hachimura deal gives the Wizards more cap space to re-sign Kuzma. Whether he wants to stick around remains to be seen, but Porzingis is reportedly on board with a return to Washington in the offseason if and when he exercises his player option, per NBA insider Mac Stein:
League sources say that the Wizards’ willingness to trade Hachimura in the name of down-the-road financial flexibility is indeed a reflection of their increasing confidence when it comes to re-signing Kyle Kuzma this summer. Kuzma intends to decline his $13 million player option for next season to become a free agent on June 30. Washington continues to tell rival teams that it plans to re-sign Kuzma as well as Kristaps Porziņģis, who can also become a free agent this summer if he declines his $36 million player option for next season. One source close to the situation said declining the option and becoming a free agent is indeed a prime option Porziņģis is considering, but I’m told he likes his situation in the nation’s capital.
The Wizards appear grossly committed to building around Bradley Beal. Locking in his co-stars in Kuzma and Porzingis would be a step towards locking in their middling core.
Credit to both Porzingis and Kuzma as both players have held the fort given Beal's injury-riddled campaign. KP has also been the healthiest he's been in years. Before his current ankle injury that may force him out for a couple of weeks, Porzingis has played in 41 of the Wizards' 46 games. That's already more than his 39.8 average games played over his last five seasons.
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