Grade the trade: Wizards find Kuzma & Poole new homes in proposed deal
By Cem Yolbulan
The Washington Wizards were one of the most active teams in the NBA last offseason. They reshaped their entire roster as they prepared for a multi-year rebuilding process. The first season of the rebuilding is going as expected, with the Wizards sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. This suggests that Washington might be busy at the trade deadline, to further strengthen their position in the draft lottery and get future assets for their established players.
The two highest-profile players on the Wizards roster are Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma. They are also the highest-paid players on the team. If the Wizards want to get additional financial flexibility and stock up on assets, trading both players would certainly be an intriguing option.
One potential trade construction could look like this:
Here, the Wizards find both Kuzma and Poole new, long-term homes.
The Utah Jazz acquire Kyle Kuzma in exchange for John Collins, and a protected future first-rounder. Utah has a slew of additional draft picks and presumably wouldn’t mind parting with one for Kuzma. Kuzma, who is in the midst of a very good season, fits better than Collins next to their core duo of Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.
The Detroit Pistons get Poole in exchange for Marvin Bagley and James Wiseman. Poole is in the first year of a long, undesirable contract and is having a very disappointing season. But, considering the minimal value Wiseman and Bagley currently have, it is a low-risk, high-reward play for the Detroit Pistons.
For the Washington Wizards, this may seem like trading Poole at the nadir of his trade value, but there is no guarantee that he will recoup it. Moving on from him scot-free, without having to attach any draft picks is worth considering. Trading Kuzma hurts, but the return has some upside. John Collins is younger and provides much-needed size and athleticism.
Bagley and Wiseman are not the sexiest names on the trade market right now, but they are 24 and 22, respectively. They are on short deals, so if it doesn’t work out, the Wizards can choose to move on from them.
The main appeal for the Wizards is the first-round pick. Depending on the protection attached to it, a first-rounder could be worth trading Kuzma and Poole somewhat prematurely.
There are arguments to be made for Kuzma having more trade value next offseason after he finishes his career year, and Poole creating more of a market for himself if he improves his performance. Those are both possibilities, but whether they are likely is a different question. And what grade one gives to this trade proposal depends on how one thinks about the likeliness of those scenarios.
Final trade grade: B
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