The trade deadline is only a month away, and with a slew of expiring contracts, mid-level salaries, and playoff aspirations, the Washington Wizards seem primed to make some moves come February 9th.
Kyle Kuzma has a player option for next season and given his performance, he is very likely to opt out and require a new long-term contract. Will Barton is on an expiring contract worth $14 million and given he is out of the rotation, he could be on the trade block. Rui Hachimura’s contract is also expiring and considering his great performances as of late, the Wizards may sell high on him rather than pay him this summer.
The Wizards also have intriguing young prospects like Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija. One of Avdija and Kispert, along with an expiring contract for salary matching purposes could make a desirable package for many teams around the league.
Which players the Wizards need to target at the trade deadline depends on where the Wizards front office sees themselves. And from what we know of the front office, they most likely see this team as a playoff team and will make moves accordingly. We can expect them to be buyers rather than sellers with a win-now approach.
Assuming this is the plan, there are a few moves the Washington Wizards can consider for help reaching their desired goal of the playoffs.