4 trades to take the Wizards from purgatory to rebuild

Trade No. 3: Kyle Kuzma to the New York Knicks

Kyle Kuzma had a breakout season this past year, but for a play who will turn 28 years old before the season starts he isn’t the kind of player the Wizards should look to build around when they emerge from their rebuild. The time to capitalize on his value is this summer.

Kuzma will be hitting the free-agent market after declining his player option, and will likely look for a new contract at $20 million per season or higher. The New York Knicks are a big-market team that can reasonably contend next season, checking Kuzma’s self-proclaimed boxes. If they move Julius Randle in a trade for a star, they could look at Kuzma as a replacement at the four:

The Wizards aren’t getting one single premium asset in this deal, but they are getting quite the collection of second-tier ones. Immanuel Quickley was one of the league’s best bench players this past season and could get a tryout as the starting point guard for Washington. Obi Toppin has a case to make as a future starting power forward. In exchange for taking on the salary of Evan Fournier, the Wizards also earn a first-round pick in the deal.