January 15 is finally upon us, which means the players who were re-signed by their teams using Bird or Early Bird rights (except supermax deals) and received a raise of at least 20% during this past offseason can now be traded. There are 17 of them who are now eligible, and let’s take a look at who they are.
– Austin Reaves
– Kyle Kuzma
– Cameron Johnson
– Rui Hachimura
– Brook Lopez
– Herb Jones
– Jerami Grant
– Tre Jones
– Jakob Poeltl
– Ayo Dosunmu
– Coby White
– P.J. Washington
– Trey Lyles
– Moritz Wagner
– Miles Bridges *
– Paul Reed *
– Matisse Thybulle *
The ones marked with * have veto power on any trade. Miles Bridges has it as he signed a qualifying offer this past off-season. Paul Reed and Matisse Thybulle, meanwhile, saw their offer sheets get matched by their team during free agency, which gives them veto power.
They also cannot be traded to the team whose offer was matched, so Thybulle can’t be moved to the Dallas Mavericks and Reed can’t be to the Utah Jazz. From this list, the names that stand out as the ones who might be traded are Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, and Rui Hachimura.
The Wizards’ Reported Asking Price For Kyle Kuzma
Kuzma is in the midst of the best season of his career, as he is averaging 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Washington Wizards. Despite his efforts, the Wizards are 7-31 on the season, and even though he just signed a four-year, $102 million deal, a trade seems rather likely.
The asking price is reportedly fairly high, though, as the Wizards are expected to make Kuzma available for trade for multiple first-round picks. Even with how well the 28-year-old has played, that’s a bit too much.
I would think that price would go down as we get closer to the deadline and there would be a few teams interested in landing him at a reduced cost. We proposed a blockbuster trade that would see Kuzma end up with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers Have Been Unwilling To Trade Austin Reaves
While the Wizards seem to be open to part ways with Kuzma, the Los Angeles Lakers are not when it comes to Reaves. With how the season has gone for the Lakers, who are 19-21, they have been linked with some big names, but L.A. reportedly doesn’t want to include Reaves in any package.
It came out last month, that the Lakers are unwilling to include Reaves in a trade deal for Zach LaVine. Then a week ago, it was reported the Lakers are unwilling to trade Reaves for Dejounte Murray either.
The Lakers clearly think very highly of Reaves, who is averaging 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game this season. Ultimately, they might have to relent and part ways with him if they are to add some star power via a trade. Hachimura might also be on his way out as part of that package.
There is only one role player on the Lakers who is safe and that’s Jarred Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt signed his extension on September 18, 2023, and cannot be traded for six months. The trade deadline is February 8 and he cannot be traded until March, so he will be on the roster come the end of the season.
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