It seems as if Washington Wizards star forward Kyle Kuzma has been on the NBA trade block ever since they acquired him from the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Despite his stellar all-around play, the 28-year-old Kuzma continues to fly under the radar. He’s now playing under a team-friendly four-year, $90 million contract. That could lead to renewed interest from other teams during the summer.
As for Washington, it’s obviously in rebuild mode after an ugly 15-win season. It’s led to further speculation that Kuzma could be moved.
In particular, Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Wizards will look to move Kuzma during the offseason. They had him on the block leading up to the February NBA trade deadline. However, the asking price was too rich.
- Kyle Kuzma stats (2023-24): 22.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 46% shooting, 34% 3-point
Kuzma has improved pretty much every season he’s been in D.C. He put up a All-Star caliber performance this past season. There is going to be a tremendous amount of interest in his services.
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Five ideal Kyle Kuzma landing spots in a trade from the Washington Wizards
Here, we look at teams that make the most sense for Kuzma with a potential return heading back to D.C.
- Miami Heat: This one would be rather simple. Washington picks up former Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro in a one-for-one swap. In turn, Miami adds a much-needed front-court presence after the team’s first-round exit in the NBA Playoffs. Assuming Jimmy Butler returns for another season, this would help round out the Heat’s wing-dominated rotation. As for the Wizards, Herro is still only 24 years old and averaged nearly 21 points per game last season.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Regardless of what the Thunder want to tell us publicly, Josh Giddey fell out of favor in the playoffs. In fact, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe took over his minutes. Why not look to move the youngster as part of a broader package? The idea of Kuzma teaming up with Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has to be appealing to Oklahoma City. The Wizards acquire Giddey, a cap filler and a future first-round pick for their troubles.
- Atlanta Hawks: We have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen with the star backcourt duo of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young in Atlanta this summer. One is likely to be moved as the Hawks change up their philosophy. They are also said to be looking for front-court help. Perhaps, a broader three-team trade that brings Atlanta Kyle Kuzma could make sense. The Hawks would trade Murray in this scenario while adding more assets to the mix.
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- Golden State Warriors: At 6-foot-9, Kuzma could act the part of a big wing. It’s an area the Warriors will look to address this summer after missing out on the playoffs for the third time in five seasons. Andrew Wiggins is also said to be on the trade block. While he would not be of interest to Washington, getting a third team involved could do the trick. Former lottery pick Moses Moody and other assets could also be used to get this done.
- Sacramento Kings: It seems as if the Kings have been linked to Kuzma on a near never-ending basis. The idea makes sense in that he could team up with Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray in the frontcourt. Sure, it might be an odd mix. But that’s an elite trio. In this scenario, Sacramento offers up young guard Davion Mitchell, cap fillers and a first-round pick to make it work. It’d be a great deal for Washington.