Wizards Star Opens Up About Trade Rumors

A Washington Wizards star opened up about the trade rumors that have swirled around him.

Jan 24, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) dribbles during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Capital One Arena. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards are entering the 2024-25 NBA season with quite a few questions about the future. Many believe that they could end up being very active in the trade market.

One name to keep a very close eye on will be forward Kyle Kuzma.

Kuzma was rumored in quite a few different trade rumblings last year. In fact, there were reports that he was nearly traded to the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the trade deadline.

Even with the new season about to get underway, Kuzma's name is still being thrown around as a potential trade candidate.

Now, the forward himself has spoken out about the trade rumors that have circled around him.

"I’ve been in trade rumors for eight years. This is my eighth year in the NBA. So, like I said, I don’t really listen (to that)," Kuzma told The Athletic's Josh Robbins. "I see. I don’t listen. I don’t really care too much about the opinions of others, and I think that’s the reason I’ve always been so good in my career. You see a lot of times when players get into trade talks, it affects their games. But it really doesn’t matter at the end of the day. One, it’s a business. Two, everybody in the NBA is tradable, except for (Victor Wembanyama). And I’d still be playing basketball if I get traded, so why would I be thinking about anything other than trying to put the ball in the hoop?"

Obviously, Kuzma is the best player on the Wizards' roster. There are quite a few teams around the league that would love to acquire him. However, to this point, Washington has opted to keep him and use him as one of their main building blocks.

During the 2023-24 season, Kuzma ended up playing in and starting 70 games. He averaged 22.2 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

In addition to those averages, Kuzma shot 46.3 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from the three-point line.

At 29 years old, the Wizards could opt to keep Kuzma around long-term. He's still young enough to be a big part of the future. Or, they could trade him for good value.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the upcoming season has in store for Kuzma and Washington. It does seem likely that they'll be open to making moves on the trade market.

Kuzma could end up being available for the right price, but that is far from a sure thing.

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