Despite plenty of speculation that the Washington Wizards would be sellers ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February, Washington has the opportunity to flip the script and become a buyer.
The Wizards have a few intriguing young prospects on their team, with the likes of Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and rookie Tre Johnson coming to mind.
However, it's clear that Washington is still more than one player away from returning to contention in the Eastern Conference.
Even if the Wizards land the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which history says is unlikely with their luck, Washington will have a hard time filling multiple needs at once.
That said, Washington has the opportunity to find a major solution ahead of February's deadline, especially with the abundance of talent that could be made available.
Looking ahead, here's 3 trade targets that could change the outlook of the Wizards rebuild.
1) G Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
Darius Garland is a new name that has been floated around as a potential player on the move ahead of the deadline.
The Wizards star guard is in the midst of a down year in Cleveland, averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds, while shooting a career-low 36.2% from field goal range and 28.2% from beyond the arc,
Still, Garland has proven to be an elite pass-first point guard and his playmaking ability is the exact skillset the Wizards are desperately missing.
At 25, Garland could be a long-term solution for one of the Wizards biggest problems.
2) F Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga is a player that the Wizards have previously shown interest in dating back to last offseason, where the former G-League Ignite star's restricted free agency seemed to be a dragged out process.
However, the high-upside forward seems to finally be on his way out of Golden State and if the Wizards are looking for an elite power forward to pair alongside Alex Sarr in the frontcourt, Kuminga would be the perfect young prospect to take a swing on.
3) F Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
Trey Murphy III has thrived in an increased role with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 21.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, while shooting 48.9% from field goal range and 36% from three.
The Virginia product, who's shown flashes of his ability to be a top scoring option could be a major piece for the Wizards to focus their rebuild around considering his age and ability to already prove ready to be the guy on offense.
As the deadline nears, Murphy's name continues to be thrown around and if he truly is available, Washington could consider making a bid.