The Washington Wizards are in the midst of a rebuild, and Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George will be at the forefront. That means they could afford to make some changes on the backend.
Top 3 Wizards trade candidates and potential trade partners
Here are three players the Wizards should be looking to move heading into next season (ranked three to one, with one being the player that needs to be traded the most), and three teams that they could strike a deal with.
3. Corey Kispert
At this point in time, Corey Kispert could still be considered a part of the Wizards’ current rebuild, but he’s already 25 years old and would be an ideal trade candidate for contending teams.
The Wizards have already shown a willingness to move on from younger players, as they dealt Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers. Getting back a decent haul for Kispert would be nice.
Trade partners: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors
The Milwaukee Bucks should be looking to add wing help next to their core pieces, and bringing in Kispert after they already added Gary Trent Jr. would be a win.
For as great as the Indiana Pacers were on offense last year, it still feels as though they could use more knock-down shooters around Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.
Losing Klay Thompson was a tough blow for the Golden State Warriors, and while they’ve already replaced him (in part) with Buddy Hield, adding a younger shooter like Kispert could help them now and in the future.
2. Malcolm Brogdon
Before even playing a minute for the Wizards, Malcolm Brogdon is going to find himself in trade discussions. That’s just the nature of the beast. He doesn’t fit their vision.
Washington got Brogdon back in the Avdija trade, but the 31-year-old veteran would be better suited on a contending team in need of some point guard help.
Trade partners: Orlando Magic, LA Clippers, Houston Rockets
The difficult part about a Brogdon trade is that he makes $22.5 million, but the Orlando Magic could get there, and if they want more support behind Jalen Suggs, the deal could make sense.
Last summer, the LA Clippers nearly traded for Brogdon before the deal went through, so perhaps they could get back in the running to land the veteran.
If the Houston Rockets find themselves close to the playoffs, they could be on the hunt for more veteran help, and Brogdon would provide that.
1. Kyle Kuzma
Again, like every other player on this list, the Wizards don’t necessarily need to trade Kyle Kuzma, but now would be a great time to do so. He has a ton of trade value, and teams should be itching to add him to their team.
Washington isn’t in a rush to trade anyone, but if there’s any player who’s up next on the list, Kuzma would probably be that guy, if for nothing else, because of the market.
Trade partners: Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat
The Sacramento Kings already made a bit of a splash when they added DeMar DeRozan, so bringing in Kyle Kuzma would solidify them as a legitimate playoff threat in the West.
With Thompson on board next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Kuzma would provide the Dallas Mavericks with the perfect final piece of the puzzle in their starting lineup (with Dereck Lively II at center).
The Miami Heat are always on the hunt for ways to improve, and if they feel comfortable with their guard position, upgrading the forward spot with Kuzma could make some sense, especially if he since would be playing next to Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt.