NBA Trade Rumors: At least for now, it doesn’t seem that the Washington Wizards are going to trade Kyle Kuzma at the NBA Trade Deadline.
It was somewhat surprising when it was reported that the Washington Wizards traded Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. Nevertheless, it was a sign that this team was going to shift its focus elsewhere heading into the offseason.
The trade of Hachimura also signaled something else – that the team was certainly not going to trade Kyle Kuzma at the NBA Trade Deadline. And the recent reports echo that thought process. If the Wizards do end up making a big move at the trade deadline, it won’t be centered around Kuzma.
In some respects, the Wizards are taking a big risk with this move. Kuzma is an unrestricted free agent during the offseason and will be free to sign with whichever team he wishes. Though, if the Wizards do plan to max him out, Washington is likely the team that will offer him the most money. Would Kuzma really decline that?
It seems we’re going to find out. Heading into the offseason, it looks like almost all of the team’s focus will be on re-signing Kuzma.
Could the Washington Wizards be making a big mistake?
It remains to be seen whether this will end up being the right decision for the Wizards. There are many questions that the Wizards need to ask themselves before potentially paying Kuzma big money.
For one, is he worth it? He is having arguably the best season of his career but is his production sustainable? It’s a very fair question to ask for a player that is having a career year at the age of 27 years old.
Second, is investing big money in Kuzma really the best course of action for the Wizards if their primary goal is to surround Bradley Beal with championship-winning talent?
If the Wizards’ goal this offseason is to keep this core intact, is it worth it? Washington has struggled for the majority of the season and is currently outside the top 10 in the Eastern Conference standings.
While trying to do everything they can to re-sign Kuzma may seem like the best course of action in theory, it could end up leaving the Wizards right back in a place where they’re trying to break out of – NBA mediocrity.