Wizards ‘eager’ to trade $90 million NBA champion, prepare for upcoming draft

The Washington Wizards have been one of the more active teams in the trade market despite not yet pulling the trigger on a deal this season as the Feb. 6 trade deadline quickly approaches.

Washington currently sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 4-22 record, and their desire to trade any and all valuable assets remains strong. This includes a nice stash of several NBA champions and award winners that could immediately help a contending team compete for a title.

Recent reports have indicated that this willingness to let go of their most desired stars in trade discussions is stronger than ever, as the belief that the organization will be looking to conduct its fire sale sooner rather than later continues to grow.

“The rising belief leaguewide is that the Wizards are eager to find a trade partner for Kuzma at some point during the next six-plus weeks…,” wrote The Stein Line’s Marc Stein on Sunday. “...and that Kuzma would want to depart this time with the 4-22 Wizards scarcely even trying to be competitive heading into the loaded 2025 NBA Draft.”

With rumors swirling that Kuzma is easily accessible, his ultimate departure for a contender looks to be imminent. With that being said, his top suitors are still relatively unknown as the market for the 6-foot-9 scoring forward continues to fluctuate. 

The 29-year-old is currently averaging 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds on a poor 46.4% effective field goal percentage, but his lack in the efficiency department could be attributed to a feeling of disconnectedness as a member of the worst team in the entire league.

As one of the more versatile scorers and ball-handling wings in the NBA, Kuzma’s most likely suitors have been rumored to be the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers.

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