Wizards primed to be first call at trade deadline for teams like Lakers, Knicks

The Washington Wizards should be entering next season with zero expectations. They are going to be one of the worst teams in the NBA, and that’s okay. That’s where they want to be.

With guys like Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey slated to headline the 2025 NBA Draft, Washington should want to do everything they can to stay low in the standings. They should want to maximize their lottery odds.

Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and the rest of Washington’s young core should get plenty of run as the Wizards attempt to prioritize youth development over everything else.

Wizards will be first call at trade deadline for many teams like Lakers, Knicks

For all of these reasons, the Wizards will be one of the first calls teams make at the trade deadline when they are looking to improve their rosters.

Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, who are not at the very top of their conferences but have high hopes of making a deep playoff run, will be searching the market come deadline time, and Washington will be there awaiting their calls.

First and foremost, Kyle Kuzma will be a hot name on the trade market all season. The Wizards could keep him around, but it would also be a good time to capitalize on his trade value.

For example, in the case of the Knicks, if Julius Randle isn’t meshing with the team, they could look to the Wizards for a Kuzma deal. In the case of the Lakers, they could trade a plethora of contracts to bring Kuzma back to the team with which he won a championship.

Then there’s Malcolm Brogdon, who the Wizards added in the Deni Avdija deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. He should be another name consistently thrown around in trade rumors.

Corey Kispert could also be a very intriguing trade weapon for the Wizards to deploy, especially because he’s on such a cheap contract. So many teams around the league could afford to make a deal for him, and he would be a great 3-and-D piece on a ton of contenders.

The Wizards are going to be involved in trade rumors all year, and once the trade deadline hits, they’re going to be receiving a ton of calls.