An important offseason approaches for the Washington Wizards. One summer ago, the franchise took things in a different direction when they traded away All-Star guard Bradley Beal, bringing in future draft assets and Jordan Poole in the process. Now, under the leadership of Michael Winger and Will Dawkins, the Wizards are looking to rebuild and gather more future assets. The organization recently removed the interim tag and made Brian Keefe the full-time head coach of the Wizards with just weeks until the 2024 NBA Draft, where they will pick second overall. While all of the Wizards' attention is cast on the draft, they are going to have other big decisions to make this offseason, starting with trade rumors surrounding Kyle Kuzma.
Recently finishing his third season with the franchise, Kuzma has been the Wizards' best player outside of Beal for the last few seasons. In 200 regular-season games with the team, Kuzma has averaged 20.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor. Kuzma's natural scoring abilities on the wing are why various teams were interested in trading for him at the trade deadline in February. The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks were two teams heavily involved in trade conversations with the Wizards centered on Kuzma at the deadline. The Indiana Pacers had also inquired about Kuzma prior to trading for Pascal Siakam.
However, the Wizards' asking price for their best talent was too steep for anyone to fully commit to in the middle of the season. At the trade deadline, Washington was seeking multiple first-round picks in exchange for Kuzma, league sources told ClutchPoints. This same mindset and asking price exist heading into the summer.
At this moment, the Wizards, sources said, are willing to discuss all options and trades presented to them that do not involve 2023 first-round pick Bilal Coulibaly. After a strong rookie showing, Coulibaly figures to be a part of the Wizards long-term core that they are planning to build through the draft. Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert are two other players that the organization values.
Rival teams that inquired about both players ahead of the trade deadline were turned down fairly quickly, as the Wizards do not hold much interest in dealing either player at this juncture.
Kyle Kuzma trade rumors to reignite ahead of 2024 NBA Draft
Kuzma has been on the trade block for quite some time. It appears to be inevitable that the Wizards will look to move on from Kuzma, especially since he is on a very team-friendly contract. During the 2024-25 season, the soon-to-be 29-year-old will be making $23.5 million in the second year of a four-year, $90 million deal that decreases by roughly $2 million each season. This is a contract that is very appealing to playoff-contending teams, especially those who do not have room to pursue All-Star-level talents due to the first and second apron tax limitations.
If a team is willing to discuss the framework of a trade that involves first-round draft picks, the Wizards will listen. There is no guarantee that Kuzma will begin the 2024-25 season on the Wizards' roster. As Washington continues to go through their rebuild, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto has also reported that Kuzma will be pursued by teams leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft in roughly three weeks.
As for teams that could look to pursue Kuzma, there are quite a few organizations that would make sense. The Kings, who do not have a lot of options in terms of upgrading their roster, may once again look to reignite trade talks with the Wizards in order to regain their footing in the Western Conference. With Malik Monk being a free agent, as well as underwhelming seasons from Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, now would be the best time for the Kings to pursue an immediate secondary scoring upgrade on the wing next to Keegan Murray. Kuzma, sources said, was at the top of the Kings' trade deadline targets this past season.
The Toronto Raptors are another team to keep an eye on regarding Kuzma as they look to move swingman Bruce Brown this offseason. Masai Ujiri and the Raptors' front office have always made their intentions of retooling their roster instead of rebuilding it prominent. Going out and bringing in Kuzma to pair with Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett would certainly reflect this notion.
A team like the San Antonio Spurs could also possibly express interest in a championship-proven veteran such as Kuzma in their quest to make the playoffs right away with Victor Wembanyma. The Spurs don't have interest in going through a long rebuilding process like what the Wizards have embarked on, sources said. San Antonio owns both the fourth and eighth overall selections heading into the 2024 NBA Draft that they can leverage at their disposal.
After showing past interest in Kuzma, the Pacers and Mavericks aren't expected to pursue a trade of this magnitude during the offseason, sources said. Instead, both organizations will focus on retaining their current talent. This is especially true for the Mavs, who find themselves in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Oddly enough, the general framework of a trade that would've sent Kuzma to Dallas was put together ahead of the deadline, according to The Athletic's Josh Robbins. Ultimately, Kuzma told the Wizards' leadership that he did not want to be traded to the Mavericks.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were another team rumored to have a level of interest in Kuzma, but they never reached out to the Wizards to inquire about him at the deadline. After seeing the success of his young team, Sam Presti likely has greater plans than going after Kuzma this offseason.
Once again, trade rumors pertaining to Kuzma will dominate all discussions for the Wizards as they look to head into the next stage of their rebuild. Winger and his front office are going to be aggressive in their attempts to turn things around in Washington D.C., which is why anticipation of a trade involving Kuzma is building around the league. Given that he is a natural scorer on the wing with the ability to compliment star players, Kuzma finds himself as one of the best players available on the trade market entering the summer.
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