Former NBA Player Believes the Wizards Should Make Trades, Cites 2020 Champion as the Most Marketable Player

During Friday’s “Run It Back,” the analyst discussed dismantling Washington’s existing group and beginning to rebuild around its youthful possibilities.

“Kuzma’s a guy that teams will want, his contract is kinda friendly where he gets paid less the longer it goes on,” Parsons said. “I think there’s a team like Dallas, Sacramento, I think somewhere like that could really use Kuzma — the Clippers. [Jonas] Valanciunas, I think he’s a great fit for Oklahoma City, the Lakers. They do have pieces that I think other teams would want, I think they’re all touchable.”

“I think they’re all tradable, I think they’re all touchable. I think they could put a package together to take any which one of those guys. Even a guy like [Corey] Kispert… I do think they have assets to kinda move off. But this team — the future isn’t bright.”

Competing clubs have been keeping an eye on Kuzma, including the Los Angeles Lakers , his previous squad. The 6-foot-10 forward has been monitored by the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and Dallas Mavericks. Since the offseason, the Lakers have also been linked to Lithuanian center Valanciunas.

Wizards young forward recognized as one of the best players in the league

Despite the losing record of the Wizards, one bright spot for the team has been the second-year forward out of France, Bilal Coulibaly. The 6-foot-6 guard has improved significantly, averaging 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9  assists. With what he’s done for the team, Coulibaly was recognized among the “25 Under 25” list of ESPN.

“Coulibaly was the other draft prospect alongside Victor Wembanyama two years ago in France, but Coulibaly’s combination of length and explosiveness made him the No. 7 pick in the 2023 draft by Washington,” Bontemps wrote. “After playing last season at 19 (and looking every bit his age), Coulibaly has made real strides on offense, including improving his field goal percentage from 43.5% to 48.2%. If he continues to develop in the same manner, he could easily make leaps up this list in future campaigns.”

With his production on the floor, the Wizards have a bright future. Along with youngsters like Alex Sarr and Carlton Carrington, Coulibaly could lead the franchise from the ashes.