The Washington Wizards kicked off their rebuild last summer by trading their stars. They got rid of Bradley Beal and his contract, and then they moved off of Kristaps Porzingis.
The result was the team’s worst record in franchise history. Now, they will be relying on Bilal Coulibaly, Deni Avdija, and the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to carry them into the future.
There won’t be any pressure on the Wizards to win in the immediate future, as it’s clear that they are in a rebuilding phase, but there are a couple of things that could get in the way of their future.
As things stand, the Wizards don’t have much cap space this summer. They won’t be able to target anyone of note in free agency in hopes of improving. But that’s okay.
Trading Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole is key to Wizards future
Washington isn’t looking to get better right now, but by the time Coulibaly, Avdija, and their No. 2 pick are ready to compete, they will want to get active.
However, that lines up to be around the 2026 or 2027 offseason. By that point, Coulibaly’s theoretical extension will be kicking in, and Avdija will be looking for an extension in the next couple of years.
What would be ideal is if the Wizards could go after some noteworthy free agents before Coulibaly’s extension, as it would allow them to maximize their cap space.
Unfortunately, two huge contracts will be on the books through the 2026-27 season: Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole.
Now, the Wizards would likely still be able to make some moves by the time Kuzma and Poole come off the books, but trading them before then would make their life a lot easier.
It’s way out in the distance, but lining up their books so they can add some pieces in the summer of 2026 would be an ideal situation for the Wizards, and to do that, they would have to ditch the Kuzma and Poole contracts.
The issues of the deal lie more in the restrictiveness than the value of the players. Both are fine basketball players, but it’s likely neither will be in Washington by the next time the Wizards are pushing for the playoffs. Therein lies the problem.