Inside The Wizards

Wizards Star Drawing Trade Interest

The Washington Wizards could trade one of their best players.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 11, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) warms up before playing against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Nov 11, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) warms up before playing against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Wizards are expected to be one of the bigger sellers ahead this year's NBA Trade Deadline.

Among the players that could be on the block is Kyle Kuzma, and Forbes insider Evan Sidery named him as a potential target for other teams.

"The Wizards are expected to shop Kyle Kuzma on the trade market leading up to February’s deadline," Sidery tweeted. "Kuzma is averaging 17.0 points per game on a career-low 48.3 TS% so far this season for Washington. The 29-year-old wing is on a descending contract that runs through 2026-27."

Trading Kuzma isn't a guarantee considering he still has two years on his contract after the season. This means that the Wizards will be able to fetch quite a large package for him in return if another team is willing to acquire him.

Earlier in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kuzma proved to be a strong role player as he was part of the 2020 championship team. Once the Lakers traded him to the Wizards for Russell Westbrook in 2021, he became a top option for Washington. However, Kuzma and the Wizards have plummeted to the bottom of the barrel in the Eastern Conference standings.

While Kuzma has the potential to be a No. 1 or 2 option for a team, he probably works better as a No. 3 or 4 option for a contender, much like he was with the Lakers.

Now, it's up to contending teams to determine if adding Kuzma is worth it for them in the long run.

In the meantime, Kuzma will continue running things through with the Wizards. They look to break their nine-game losing streak tonight when the defending champion Boston Celtics come to town for an NBA Cup matchup. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/Washington Wizards News