It's been nearly two years since Michael Winger and Will Dawkins became the Washington Wizards' new team executives. They embraced being a rebuilding team from the start, and their actions since have matched their words. The latest example came on Wednesday when they traded Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks.
Washington sent Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and a second-round pick to Milwaukee for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a pick swap. The Wizards walk away from the trade with a three-time All-Star and the No. 23 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Kuzma arrived in D.C. as part of the Russell Westbrook trade with the Lakers in 2021. He spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Wizards, which is certainly much longer than he expected to be there. In retrospect, Washington should've traded him before the 2024 deadline when Dallas offered two first-round picks for him. On a positive note, their package from the Bucks is solid.
If the Wizards' plan works out as hoped, the Kuzma trade will be part of the championship puzzle. No, Washington isn't close to being a contender, but intentional rebuilds take time.
Wizards trade Kyle Kuzma to Bucks the day before deadline
Washington hasn't shied away from putting its young players in the spotlight. Bilal Coulibaly (33.2), Bub Carrington (28.8), Alex Sarr (26.8), and Kyshawn George (25.4) average more than 25 minutes per game.
The Wizards reportedly don't plan on moving 33-year-old Middleton before the deadline and are instead excited about him being a mentor to a young team. He certainly won't come in and be the top option on offense. He isn't the priority and could only be in D.C. for the last couple of months of the season. Middleton has a $34 million player option for 2025-26 that he'll likely opt into, but the Wizards could trade him for additional assets.
The underrated part of the trade is Johnson, who was projected to be a high draft pick in 2025 if he had gone to college rather than declared last year. Therefore, Washington got another young player (Johnson is 20) who will continue to develop in D.C.
Of course, the Kuzma trade also increases the Wizards' chances of securing the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery. Drafting Cooper Flagg would be a massive step forward in Washington's rebuild.
Non-Wizards fans may not care about what's happening in the District, but the tide will turn eventually. Try to enjoy the process in the meantime.