The Washington Wizards have had an up-and-down year up to this point of the regular season.
Washington currently sits at the bottom of the NBA with a 15-55 record. Throughout their rough stretch of the season, it's clear that the Wizards and their fanbase have experienced more losses than wins this season. However, in a year focused on the development of their young core, the last thing on the teams mind was building a championship contender.
Then again, ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the team's horrid record was bad enough that the Wizards' front office felt that a roster shake up may be what's best for not only the development of their young players, but for the standpoint of the team's rebuild.
As a result, Washington made multiple moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February. One of which included the team dealing away one of their longest tenured players in Kyle Kuzma.
The Wizards dealt Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a four team trade that landed them Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and a 2028 first-round pick swap. As part of the deal, Patrick Baldwin Jr. landed with the San Antonio Spurs.
At the time, the trade seemed to be questionable, but after the recent stretch for the Wizards, it seems safe to say that Washington may have came out on the winning side.
Wizards find success post Kuzma
Since dealing away Kuzma, the Wizards have made it clear that the development of their young core is their priority. The front office and head coach Brian Keefe have done an excellent job surrounding them with the right mixture of veterans that can not only mentor the group and share their experience, but also contribute to winning.
Over their recent stretch, the Wizards have managed to pull off multiple wins, and while it's obviously put a wrinkle in the team's offseason plans and their chance at the No. 1 overall pick, it's allowed for the team to show encouraging signs of the future for the fans.
As for Kuzma, he gets the opportunity to suit up for a playoff team as the postseason nears. And while the Bucks have struggled over their own recent stretch, the deal between the Wizards and Bucks seems to be one of the biggest win-win scenarios of the deadline up to this point.
Nonetheless as the offseason looms, the Wizards will have a choice to make with Middleton's future. Regardless of what they decide, there's no denying that the veteran forwards' time in D.C. has been a success for both him, and for the team's young players who have clearly enjoyed learning from the savvy vet.