Wizards Predicted to Hold Fire Sale

The Washington Wizards could be making some trades very soon.
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Nov 2, 2024; Mexico City, MEXICO; Washington Wizards player Bilal Coulibaly in action with Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler  during a NBA basketball game at Arena CDMX. Mandatory Credit: Henry Romero/Reuters via Imagn Images
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Nov 2, 2024; Mexico City, MEXICO; Washington Wizards player Bilal Coulibaly in action with Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler during a NBA basketball game at Arena CDMX. Mandatory Credit: Henry Romero/Reuters via Imagn Images / Henry Romero/Reuters via Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are seeing their young players contribute frequently during the start of the season, which doesn't bode well for the future of the more established players on the team.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley believes their current situation makes the Wizards one of the most aggressive sellers going into the league's trade season.

"It's a sensible stance for a squad that, despite having tanked its way to 67 losses last season, remains woefully short on long-term keepers," Buckley writes. "Bilal Couliably and Alex Sarr are building blocks, and hopefully the same is true of Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George, but who else is sticking around for the long haul? Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valančiūnas crack the short list of this season's most logical trade candidates. If Jordan Poole manages to sustain this hot start, he'll probably crack that list, too. Even Corey Kispert, who inked a four-year, $54 million extension in October, could be up for grabs. He might even be more marketable now with his future secured at a reasonable rate."

As a rebuilding team in need of assets, the Wizards are looking to extract the most value possible out of their current players, and for some, that means flipping them for future draft capital.

The Wizards have some time to figure out which players should and shouldn't be on the team long-term, but every game is part of the overall evaluation for everyone's future.

With Washington's young core already a fervent part of the team, the Wizards could be more willing to part ways with the veterans on their roster before the trade deadline in order to further clear the path for the future of the team to officially take over.

The Wizards are back home tomorrow night as they host the Golden State Warriors.

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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.