Grade the Trade: Wizards send Kyle Kuzma to contender in proposed player swap

Grading the trade for the Washington Wizards

With the Wizards deep in a rebuild, the idea of acquiring young, high-upside players is intriguing. However, the price of swapping Kuzma without the return of any draft picks makes this trade less than desirable.

This year, Kuzma is averaging a team-high 22.3 points per game, leading the team to many of their hard-to-come-by victories. After being rumored to be on the move to the Dallas Mavericks at last February's trade deadline, Kuzma made it clear that he wants to be with the Wizards long-term. His loyalty to this franchise is something Washington fans admire and is rare to find in team history.

Kuzma's current contract keeps him locked into basketball in the District until the summer of 2027, getting increasingly cheaper year over year. His team-friendly contract, coupled with his desire to play in a Wizards uniform, makes him a player many fans would like to see stick around Washington for years to come.

Despite what Giddey and Dieng could grow to be, making this trade as a two-for-one player swap that sends Kuzma out to the Thunder would be an unwise decision for the Wizards to make.

Grade: D+