The Washington Wizards are one of the teams who are going to be clear-cut sellers ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. Their loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday night was their 33rd of the season, as they have the third-worst record in the league to this point.
There doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel currently, as the team will be looking to recoup as many future assets as possible ahead of the deadline. It would not be a stretch to say that rookie Bilal Coulibaly is the only player who is close to being untouchable on the roster.
One player generating a ton of interest is forward Kyle Kuzma. He signed a four-year, $90 million deal in 2022, which could be considered strong value around the league based on what other players have signed for since.
“League sources told Hoops Wire that the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors are among those who could have an interest in Kuzma. Neither Memphis nor San Antonio would want to part with potential lottery picks, though, sources added.”
Based on that report, it would seem that the Golden State Warriors have the inside track to acquiring Kuzma should they be willing to pony up the price. It should be no surprise that the Spurs, in the early stage of their rebuild around Victor Wembanyama, don’t want to part with lottery picks. But, it won’t be cheap to acquire him, as the Wizards are seeking multiple future first-round picks.
“Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has drawn exploratory trade interest from several teams around the league, league sources told HoopsHype, and that interest could intensify with teams missing out on Pascal Siakam,” Michael Scotto of HoopsHype wrote. “Following reports that Washington wants two first-round picks to potentially part with Kuzma, there is further clarity and caveats to that. The Wizards would need future first-round picks beyond the 2024 draft with the potential to become lottery picks to consider parting with their best player, league sources told HoopsHype.”
Just entering his prime, the 28-year-old Kuzma is averaging 22.2 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. The points and assists are both on pace to be career highs for the former first-round pick.
Some people will see those numbers and believe that he is just stat padding on a bad team, but Kuzma comes with playoff and championship experience. He was an integral part of the Lakers team that won the NBA Finals in the Orlando Bubble in 2020 coming off the bench.
Kuzma would be a nice addition to the Warriors, someone capable of helping them presently but young enough to be a core piece for years to come. He would add much-needed scoring punch to their frontcourt and help take some of the pressure off of Stephen Curry as the only player consistently generating offense for the team.
