Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards: 3 potential trades for full roster teardown

By Cem Yolbulan

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 26: Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards sits with teammate Kristaps Porzingis #6 on the bench against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on March 26, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 26: Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards sits with teammate Kristaps Porzingis #6 on the bench against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on March 26, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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Now that the Bradley Beal trade is officially on the books, it’s time the Washington Wizards make their decisions for the rest of the roster. The underwhelming return for Beal suggests that the Wizards are eager to start their rebuild as soon as possible. They seemingly don’t want to hold onto their currently valuable players and risk them losing their trade value.

There are currently four players on the Wizards roster who don’t make a lot of sense on a rebuilding team, in terms of their age and skill set. Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Delon Wright, and Monte Morris fit better on a team trying to win rather than a team trying to develop their young talent.

Porzingis and Kuzma have player options for next season. Kuzma already declined his, while Porzingis is likely to pick up his option. This makes Kuzma a prime sign & trade candidate due to his two-way skill that fits contending teams perfectly. Porzingis also becomes an intriguing trade target with his $36 million expiring deal. There will certainly be a demand for a floor-spacing, rim-protecting big, considering the weak free-agent class this summer.

Kuzma and Porzingis are 27 years old, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world for the Wizards to retain them for another season. However, they are both coming off career seasons and their trade values are higher than they have been in a long time. This approach comes with risks of Porzingis just signing with another team next offseason, or Kuzma being less valuable on a big contract.

It makes more sense to find new homes for Kuzma and Porzingis not only for the Wizards but also for the two players.

This makes Delon Wright and Monte Morris expendable as well. Both guards could play valuable bench roles in playoff teams and presumably would prefer that over a rebuild. The Wizards should be able to get positive value for both players so they should try moving them this offseason.

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