The 2023 NBA trade deadline is looming, and fans are waiting for the annual moves to start taking place. This season was expected to be one that would be rife with trades, with many possibly selling teams looking to tank their way to Victor Wembanyama. However, that hasn’t happened, and we haven’t seen the trades we expected.
Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards is a player many believe could be available for trade, especially with Kuzma being on an expiring contract and looking to move on from the Wizards. His expiring status means he can be acquired without the Wizards needing a big haul, and many teams could line up to get the versatile forward.
If the Wizards decide they are better off getting assets for players that may leave instead of competing for a play-in spot, Kuzma would be a valuable addition to any contending team in the NBA. But which 3 teams would be ideal destinations for the former champion?
3. New York Knicks
New York Knicks Receive: Kyle Kuzma
Washington Wizards Receive: Derrick Rose, 2023 First-Round Pick From The Mavericks (Top-10 Protected)
The New York Knicks hit a home run in the offseason by signing Jalen Brunson, who’s emerging as a star in the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are looking like a safe playoff bet but lack the firepower many of the top teams in the East possess. Making a low-risk addition like Kuzma by giving up the 2023 first-round pick they acquired from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade could be the ideal move.
If the Wizards are deciding to tank this season, getting a player like Rose on a team option would be perfect. They can choose to retain him at the end of the year or just let him go to clear up $15 million from their cap. The Mavericks’ pick is expected to convey this season, with the team in a good position to make the playoffs. A pick in the late teens or twenties in the 2023 NBA Draft gives the Wizards an instantly tangible asset.
The Knicks have multiple protected first-round picks in the 2023 NBA draft and can afford to part with the Mavs’ pick while retaining all their own picks. If a frontcourt fit with Kuzma next to Julius Randle ends up failing, the Knicks can move on from this experiment with little damage done to their future asset pool while improving their roster for this season. A small-ball lineup with Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, R.J. Barrett, Kyle Kuzma, and Julius Randle could be a fun experiment if the Knicks are willing to commit to it.
2. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns Receive: Kyle Kuzma
Washington Wizards Receive: Jae Crowder, Saben Lee, 2027 First-Round Pick From The Suns (Lottery-Protected)
The Phoenix Suns have one of the clearest needs for a player like Kuzma in the league. They’ve been missing the production of Jae Crowder in their front court and saw Cam Johnson spend an extended amount of time injured, though he recently returned to the court. Kuzma would be a good fit in the Suns’ frontcourt alongside Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. His defensive hustle and stretchability can make him extremely useful in the Devin Booker-led system once D-Book returns from injury.
With the Suns having locked up most of their starters like Ayton, Bridges, and Booker on long-term contracts, they can afford to give up a future lottery-protected pick. If the Wizards want to, they can further flip Crowder off to another team like the Miami Heat for another asset. Whether the Suns are willing to extend Kuzma is the main talking point, as they’ll have to decide whether they want to give up a future first-round pick for a half-year rental.
The Suns are in a tailspin at the moment and need to arrest their slide down the standings. They are currently 12th in the West and have been in freefall since Booker went down. Kuzma has proven he can be a reliable source of offense on his own, and Phoenix needs that solidity in their team this season, especially with the struggles the roster has had with one guard injured and the other, Chris Paul, in poor form.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kyle Kuzma
Washington Wizards Receive: Patrick Beverley, 2029 First-Round Pick From The Lakers (Top-10 Protected)
The Los Angeles Lakers are tipped to be Kuzma’s likely landing spot if he hits free agency, as the Lakers will have the cash to spend. Whether he fulfills the requirement for a ‘third star’ is questionable, but there should be mutual interest in a reunion. The Lakers’ lack of reliable frontcourt depth has caused them to play LeBron James in basically every position possible, and Kuzma can allow him to move back to his natural position as a small forward. We’ve seen that Anthony Davis, LeBron, and Kuzma together, while healthy, can be a championship-winning trio. LA needs the stability Kuzma brought to the roster again.
The Lakers are likely not to trade their future picks, given Jeanie Buss saying they need to protect their future, but giving a protected pick in the distant future may be worth it. The Lakers can safeguard themselves from losing a pick in case they’re tanking in 2019, while the Wizards have additional draft assets in the future. The pick has to eventually convey, so depending on the protections, they can get a good asset. Patrick Beverley is basically a salary-filler given his form this season but could bring value to the Wizards short-term by being a mentor to the youth on the team as he did for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
If Kuzma is to return to LA, they’d be foolish not to extend him and bring him back to the team everyone looks at as his home. Given the Lakers could sign him in free agency, they may be hesitant to hand out picks for him. However, he allows them to be better this season and ensures another year isn’t wasted while also turning into a long-term asset with an extension.
Whether or not Kyle Kuzma ends up switching teams this winter is going to be a topic that people around the league have their eyes peeled for. He will boost the chances of any contending team, especially with the parity that this season has brought about in the league.
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