Analyst Floats Wizards, Grizzles Trade Idea
The Washington Wizards are expected to be one of the busier teams when trade season kicks off as many anticipate them being one of the league's top sellers.
The Wizards have a youth movement in place, and not every player on the roster fits the timeline for the team.
Among the players that could be traded is Kyle Kuzma, who was included in a mock trade by Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale. In the deal, Kuzma is dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies along with Patrick Baldwin Jr. for John Konchar, Marcus Smart, Vince Williams Jr., and a 2025 first-round pick.
"The Wizards always projected as sellers, but the electricity with which Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George are playing reinforces the merits of its youth movement. While Kuzma isn't standing in the way of anyone, per se, Washington doesn't need him to man the role of competent veteran," Favale writes. "Absorbing Smart's contract (one year, $21.6 million) shouldn't be an issue for the Wizards. His shot-making has to somewhat rebound once he's healthy, and he can still bring defensive heat. Scooping up an extra first and a Williams flier is worth it."
A deal like this is certainly in the neighborhood of what the Wizards should be looking for in Kuzma's market.
So far this season, Kuzma is averaging 17.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in just four appearances. He missed five games with a groin injury but returned for the team's loss on Monday against the Houston Rockets.
Kuzma will have to show a little more of a sample size to warrant interest in the trade market, but if he is featured more in the next few months, a deal like this isn't out of the realm of possibility.