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The Washington Wizards cooked with grease at the trade deadline, and now they're sitting pretty with a stash of future assets. The best part is that they didn't give up much for two first-round picks, AJ Johnson, and more.
Here's a complete summary of the action:
Outgoing players (Position, Name, Traded To, Outgoing Salary)
F Kyle Kuzma, Milwaukee Bucks, $23,522,727
F Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee Bucks, $2,448,840 (Expiring)
C Jonas Valanciunas, Sacramento Kings, $9,900,000
C Marvin Bagley Jr., Memphis Grizzlies, $12,500,000 (Expiring)
G Johnny Davis, Memphis Grizzlies, $5,291,160 (Expiring)
G Jared Butler, Philadelphia 76ers, (Two-way)
Incoming players (Position, Name, Traded From, Incoming Salary, Years Remaining on Contract)
F Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks, $31,666,667, 2 (2025 player option)
G AJ Johnson, Milwaukee Bucks, $2,795,294, 4 (Rookie scale)
G Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies, $20,210,285, 2
C Alex Len, Sacramento Kings, $2,087,519, 1 (Expiring)
G Colby Jones, Sacramento Kings, $2,120,691, 2 (Rookie scale, team option 2026)
C Matthias Lessort, (draft rights from the Bucks). He plays for the EuroLeague club Panathinaikos.
Players waived (Position, Name, Original Team)
G Sidy Cissoko, Sacramento Kings (redirected from the San Antonio Spurs trade)
G Reggie Jackson, Philadelphia 76ers
Incoming picks
Grizzlies 2025 1st round pick (protected 1-14)
76ers 2026 1st round pick (least favorable of OKC, LAC and HOU [top 4 protected])
Bucks 2028 1st round pick swap (second most favorable swap rights between POR, MIL, WSH)
Kings 2028 2nd (via DEN, protected 31-33), 2029 2nd
Outgoing picks
To Bucks: 2025 2nd (second-most favorable of WAS' collection)
To 76ers: 2027 2nd (via GSW), 2028 2nd (via GSW), 2030 2nd (via PHX), 2030 2nd
To Grizzlies: 2025 2nd
The Wizards are now $3.8 million under the first apron.
Wizards trade deadline grade: A-
What a victory for general manager Will Dawkins. He not only set up Washington with more future assets, but he brought in two veterans who can mentor the young core in Middleton and Smart.
Jordan Poole sounded off on Smart after the Wizards' 134-124 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, via Monumental Sports Network's Chase Hughes.
“He has the utmost respect being a Defensive Player of the Year,” the 25-year-old said. “I've had my fair share of Marcus guarding me on the other side…his energy, his toughness, his winning mentality; I think that's something we can all vibe off of.”
Smart was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 with the Boston Celtics before getting traded to Memphis the next year. The 30-year-old has struggled with injuries and declining play since then, but his reputation as one of the most physical defenders in the NBA makes him one of the best possible mentors for Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and Johnson.
Speaking of Johnson, the rookie already flashed his potential on Friday with two points (1-of-4 FG), four assists, and one rebound in 9 minutes off the bench. The No. 23 overall pick dunked on Cavs forward Evan Mobley for his first bucket as a Wizard.
Johnson opened up about what he brings to Washington, via Hughes.
New Wizards guard AJ Johnson on getting traded to Washington and what fans can expect from him moving forward. pic.twitter.com/W9FOhSe8Lf
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) February 8, 2025
“I would just say excitement,” the California native said. “I'm gonna go out there and give it my all every single night.”
With Johnson now in the fold, Washington has five first-round players from the last two drafts. Coulibaly was picked No. 8 overall in 2023, while Alex Sarr (No. 2), Carrington (No. 14), and George (No. 24) are all fellow rookies.
That's in addition to the king's ransom of draft capital the organization owns over the next few years. The Wizards will get their 2025 lottery pick back from the New York Knicks this summer, and now they have the Grizzlies' pick as well. Memphis will almost certainly convey the selection given that it's currently the second seed in the West at 35-16.
Washington will also get its 2026 first back from the Knicks if it stays at the bottom of the standings, as the pick is protected 1-8. Even if it does convey the pick, it can now fall back on Philadelphia's selection that year.
The Wizards also have first-round pick swaps with the Phoenix Suns in '26, '28, and '30 from the Bradley Beal trade, as well as the '28 swap with Milwaukee from the Kuzma trade. They also own a first in '27, two in '29, one in '30 (via GSW, protected 1-20), and one in '31. The team still has a stash of future seconds too.
This is plenty for Washington to hang its hat on as it slowly builds through player development, especially because it didn't trade any important assets. Giving up the disgruntled Kuzma was inevitable, and dealing Valanciunas allows Sarr to shine at center. Bagley and Davis are backups on expiring contracts, and Butler is a promising, but expendable role player. Parting with six seconds is a lot, but the Wizards were never going to use all of them anyway.
Keeping Malcolm Brogdon for the remainder of the season is also shrewd, as he was rumored to be a buyout candidate. The former Sixth Man of the Year is another good mentor and “culture builder” for Washington's locker room.
Overall, it's hard to imagine a better trade deadline for the Wizards. The only slight hiccups were getting a small return for Valanciunas and not trading Kuzma before this season, but those aren't franchise-sinking blunders. The bottom line is that Washington is set up to contend in a few years as long as it develops its current talent and drafts the right players moving forward.
