There are important decisions waiting for the Washington Wizards front office and its two stars Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. Both players have player options for next season and the deadline to make a decision is only two weeks away. It is still a mystery whether the Washington Wizards are going into full roster teardown mode immediately or if they are planning to keep their core together to start the season. If the new front office indeed decides to start the rebuild this offseason, one possibility might be to sign & trade Kyle Kuzma.
Kuzma’s player option is for $13 million next year. It is a near-certainty that he will decline that option. He will likely require a multi-year deal worth over $20 million annually. Kuzma is a valuable two-way player but he is more of a luxury on a rebuilding team.
Kuzma’s skillset is a fantastic fit for a lot of contending teams. There simply aren’t too many 6’9 forwards who can create their own shots, score, and defend at a reasonable level. Starter-caliber wings in their prime like Kuzma don’t come on the market very often.
There should be a big market for Kuzma this offseason. The free agent market is especially weak this summer. Teams that want to take the next step in contention will have to resort to the trade market. And there will almost certainly be teams that believe Kuzma is the missing piece.
The Washington Wizards need to take advantage of this situation and field calls on Kuzma. Let’s look at some teams who could potentially be interested.