Rockets Wing Named Wizards Trade Target

The Washington Wizards could look to trade for one of the rising Houston Rockets.

Mar 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) attempts to steal the ball from Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards are expected to be sellers at this year's trade deadline, but they could also look to make some moves to make their team better in the process.

A player who could elevate the Wizards' ceiling is Houston Rockets young forward Amen Thompson, who is listed as a "dream target" for a trade by Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes.

"Good luck prying Thompson away from the Rockets, who could conceivably view him as their point guard or power forward of the future—or anything in between. Still, Houston has a glut of young players who need minutes and, eventually, contract extensions. The Rockets might find themselves in need of some veteran scoring as the season progresses, which is where Kyle Kuzma comes in. It'd certainly take much more than the Wizards' veteran forward to acquire Thompson, but maybe they could cobble something together enticing enough to snatch Thompson away, adding a positionally uncertain prospect with immense upside to their rebuild," Hughes writes.

Trading for Thompson likely won't be an option before February's deadline, but it could be something the Wizards continue to monitor as time goes by. The Wizards have still yet to identify a true point guard of the future, and Thompson's athleticism would work great alongside Bilal Coulibaly. He could also fit next to Bub Carrington if the Wizards feel like he could be a point guard of the future.

The Rockets have liked what they have seen from Thompson so far in his career, and as of now, he is still part of their future plans. But given the nature of Houston's current setup, he may not financially be able to be part of the Rockets' future.

If he cannot commit to being part of Houston's long-term plan, Washington should be the first team to call.

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