The Cleveland Cavaliers are ready to make a push toward contention this season, ending future uncertainty about Donovan Mitchell with a contract extension this summer. The team still has a young core in place but can’t afford to waste more time in building a contender after the moves teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks have made to challenge the reigning champions Boston Celtics.
The Washington Wizards are on their way to the bottom of the NBA standings, with the squad widely expected to tank for a top pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft. They already have a solid young core of players and could set themselves up perfectly for the future with a top pick from next year’s Draft. Players like Kyle Kuzma are surplus to requirements as a solid 3-and-D forward who could contribute to a winner.
Trade Details
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Kyle Kuzma
Washington Wizards Receive: Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, 2031 First-Round Pick (CLE), 2025 Second-Round Pick (MIL), 2027 Second-Round Pick (DEN)
The Cavaliers acquire a major win-now forward like Kuzma who could greatly boost their versatility to compete in the East. The Wizards land one interesting development project like Okoro alongside a veteran like Strus who could be an interesting name in additional trades. Due to Okoro’s late summer extension, he won’t be eligible to be traded till January 15, 2025, so this mock trade will have to wait until then.
The Cavaliers Become A Bonafide Contender
The Cavaliers have shown flashes of being a contender already over the last two seasons with Donovan Mitchell at the helm. The team has the talent and depth to be a perennial playoff team, but with the strength atop the Conference, a move to reinforce their lacking forward position would make their chances better.
Kuzma averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on the Wizards last season, proving his value as a productive NBA star, albeit on a losing team. He has also proven his value as a championship Caliber role player on the Lakers, so the Cavaliers would benefit greatly if they added a forward like him to bridge the gap between the talented guards and big men on the roster.
Kuzma is a high-energy defender and rebounder, who can score in isolation situations as well. He’ll be a positive complement to the team’s spacing while making their defense with Mobley and Allen even beefier. Kuzma is an antidote for the Cavs struggling against marquee forwards around the East, fixing the one major hole in their roster at the moment.
The team wouldn’t pass up an all-around upgrade like Kuzma at the cost of Max Strus, with Isaac Okoro on shaky ground given his summer extension struggles. Kuzma is under contract and in the prime of his career, giving the Cavs a much-needed offensive boost outside of their undersized guards.
The Wizards Continue Their Rebuild
Kuzma has been a great player for the Wizards the last three seasons, serving as an admirable tank commander who grew his skill set with the opportunity provided to him. He declined being traded to the Mavericks in the winter when he didn’t believe in them, but the Wiz might have to make him available to give opportunities to their young stars.
Bilal Coulibaly would embrace a much greater role on the Wizards and it would allow him to be baptized through fire as he enters his sophomore season. The Wizards need to bet on their young stars and give them greater opportunities on the court rather than relying on veterans. Malcolm Brogdon will be a great influence over this core while Jordan Poole will try to get his career back on track as well.
Adding Isaac Okoro to their young core would be a solid move for the Wizards. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists last season but failed to show the offensive evolution required to be a full-time starter on the contending Cavaliers. They waited till late September to give him a new contract, showing the team doesn’t view him as integral to their core. The Wizards would have the opportunity to develop him without contending pressure while he would form a phenomenal perimeter defensive duo with Coulibaly.
Max Strus is a solid veteran forward who averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists last season. His lack of consistency made him a poor choice as a full-time starter on a contending team, but Strus’ sharpshooting ability could make him a viable trade candidate for the Wizards down the line.
Two Teams Move Toward Different Goals
The Wizards aren’t in a rush and don’t need to try and maximize production from players like Kuzma to stack wins right now. The 29-year-old forward doesn’t have a higher development ceiling to unlock either, so it would be the perfect time to send him to a contender for future assets. A first-round pick seven years in the future can be mightily valuable for them, along with whatever they can extract from Okoro, who’s on a 3-year $38 million deal which is manageable for the Wizards.
The Cavaliers can’t waste another year with Donovan Mitchell as a penciled-in second-round exit, especially with Mitchell producing at an All-NBA level for the two seasons he’s been in Cleveland. They need to add a standout wing like Kuzma to bridge the gap between their backcourt and frontcourt while being versatile enough to strengthen both those groups as well.
A starting five of Garland, Mitchell, Kuzma, Mobley, and Allen would be among the best in the NBA. With solid depth and the innovative Kenny Atkinson as coach, the Cavaliers would rub shoulders with teams atop the Eastern Conference and be in with a shot to go all the way, provided Garland and Mobley find greater consistency in their dorm as All-Star caliber talents.
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