Inside The Wizards

Wizards Veteran's Trade Value Dwindling

The Washington Wizards may have to trade one of their veterans with his value declining.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 8, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) drives for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 8, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) drives for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have been thrown into trade rumors regarding Kyle Kuzma for the better part of two years now, but with the Feb. 6 deadline rapidly approaching, the former NBA champion's time in the nation's capital could soon be coming to an end.

Kuzma, 29, is averaging 15.1 points per game, which is a decent showing considering the fact that he has been injured for half of the season.

CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn believes that the Wizards could look to deal Kuzma in the coming weeks.

"Kuzma turned down a possible trade to Dallas last deadline. He's averaging almost seven fewer points per game this season, and he's making less than 27% of his 3s," Quinn writes.

"Kuzma's played for a champion before, and he does the subtle things that numbers don't catch when he's playing in a winning situation. Ultimately, though, his value will come down to how much an acquiring team trusts his shot, because his reputation has outpaced his percentages for years now."

Contenders like the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies have been connected to Kuzma, citing his championship experience and two-way abilities as reasons to acquire him.

It remains to be seen if the Wizards are truly serious about subtracting Kuzma from the roster this season even though they were ready to a year ago.

The Wizards may not be a fan of the offers coming their way, and they may look to keep him in order to potentially have his value grow in the second half of the year to be traded in the offseason or in a year from now.

It's a risk to keep Kuzma, because his value could go in either direction, so the Wizards have to be smart on how to play this situation out.

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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.

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