The Washington Wizards may make a few moves before the day of the trade deadline, as it looks like they're going to focus on their young players for the remainder of the season. After trading Kyle Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks, they later traded Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings. In return, the Wizards acquired Sidy Cissoko, but they've decided to waive him, according to Michael Scotto.

Cissoko was the 44th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and played in 29 games for the San Antonio Spurs. With him now being waived, that gives the Wizards an open roster spot to use in another trade. The Wizards could always bring back Cissoko on a two-way contract, as he's an intriguing player who has skills on the defensive side of the ball.

Wizards looking to start fresh with young core

Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) handles the ball defended by Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) during the first half at Spectrum Center.
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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The Wizards made a flurry of moves on the day before the trade deadline, and their first order of business was trading Kyle Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks. Kuzma had been in trade rumors since the start of the season, and several teams were looking to acquire him. The Bucks came in at the end and were able to acquire him, and he should be a big help to their team as they try to stay competitive throughout the season. In return, the Wizards were able to get Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson, and it looks like they may be staying put on the team for now.

The writing was on the wall for Middleton on the Bucks, as he just couldn't stay healthy and was getting older. At one point, head coach Doc Rivers thought that it was best to move Middleton to the bench and not play him extensive minutes to keep him fresh. As for Johnson, he's shown the ability to knock down shots at a high rate and could be a good piece for the Wizards' future.

Later on, the Wizards traded Jonas Valanciunas, another player who had been in trade rumors since the start of the season. The hope was that Valanciunas could help Alex Sarr early on in his rookie season, and he may have been successful in doing so after watching how he's played over the past few weeks.

The Wizards are buying into the young core they have with Sarr, Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, and more, but they also have some veterans, such as Middleton, who can help them throughout the season.