7. Kyle Kuzma
As the Washington Wizards kickstart a complete rebuild, probably a couple of years too late (but that’s another conversation for another day), you can’t help but wonder what that could end up meaning for Kyle Kuzma who is set to hit free agency in a few days. For Kuzma, in what is a pretty weak free agency class, he could truly make waves. However, I’m not sure if there’s a “right” team out there for him with available money and/or willing to make a big sign-and-trade deal for him.
That means he could end up just re-signing with the Wizards and potentially find a trade down the road. The Wizards could use a Kuzma extension to hit the salary floor for next season and retain an asset that could pay dividends for the team either at next year’s NBA Trade Deadline or next summer.
Kuzma is coming off arguably the best season of his career with the Wizards and could really help a playoff contender. That said, it may not be the right time for Kuzma to make that jump. There’s a very real chance that he could simply take the money from the Wizards and find a trade in a year.
Prediction: Washington Wizards