4 Teams Emerging As Trade Suitors For Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma

As the NBA calendar turns over into 2024, we are rapidly approaching the league’s trade deadline. While some teams are still on the fence about whether or not they will be buyers or sellers, there are a few teams that have already drawn their line.

One of the teams we know who will be selling ahead of the deadline is the Washington Wizards. The record-long losing streak of the Detroit Pistons, which reached 28 games, overshadowed just how bad the Wizards have been playing this season.

At 6-26, Washington has the third-fewest victories in the NBA; only the Pistons and San Antonio Spurs have fewer. They have been playing an ugly brand of basketball all season and many people are expecting them to shake things up in the coming weeks.

One player who could be on the move is forward Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma signed a four-year, $90 million deal this past offseason to remain in Washington. Despite that extension being inked, Kuzma is considered a valuable trade target around the league according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Fischer also noted that Kuzma should be able to fetch the Wizards’ prime assets, such as first-round picks, in any trade. Who could be interested in acquiring him? As shared by Anthony Amador of ItsGame7.com, four teams are emerging as potential candidates.

One of those teams Kuzma knows well; the Los Angeles Lakers. The Utah product spent the first four seasons of his career in Los Angeles before he was traded to the Nation’s Capital as part of the Russell Westbrook blockbuster deal.

The Lakers were linked to Kuzma this offseason, along with the San Antonio Spurs, who were mentioned as another team to keep an eye on. While this season has been tough for the Spurs, they have a star in the making in Victor Wembanyama to build around for the future.

Another Western Conference team to keep an eye on is the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has been linked to numerous power forwards on the trade market this season as they look to continue rounding out their roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Last but not least, the Indiana Pacers were mentioned as a fit for Kuzma. Their high-flying offense would be a good fit for the versatile Kuzma, who would be an upgrade over Obi Toppin, who has started the most games for Indiana at power forward this season.