As we head into the NBA trade season starting on December 15th and going until we hit the deadline on February ninth, there have been plenty of trade rumors bubbling up. Most notably for the Washington Wizards is Kyle Kuzma, one of the best players on the roster ahead of his first free agency.
Kuzma is expected to ask much more than what the Wizards are valuing him at, making him a liability for the rest of the season, so it makes sense to move him.
The 27-year-old NBA Champion is in the midst of the best season of his career, putting up career highs in multiple different categories and matching others as well. He is doing all of this on pretty solid efficiency as well, although there is still room for improvement.
He is averaging 20.6 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists per game this season as he continues to be great next to Kristaps Porzingis. He may just have a shot at an All-Star appearance if the Wizards can start putting together some winning streaks before voting starts.
Still, he is expected to ask, and possibly receive, a contract similar to other stars who are just on a different level than he is. Moving the experienced forward for draft capital and young building blocks is probably the best decision for the Wizards looking forward.
There have been numerous rumors floating around involving about half of the Wizards roster for years. Of course, this year can’t be any different, so the Wizards are used to handling the trade market at this point.
The most notable rumors as of right now are the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, and the New York Knicks who are rumored to be offering their own star players, but there are other potential landing places as well.
Let’s look at the top five potential landing places for Kyle Kuzma and rate them based on how well they work for the Washington Wizards.