The Washington Wizards will be one of the teams that the entire league keeps a close eye on as we inch closer to the trade deadline. The Wizards have Bradley Beal but it doesn’t look like the supporting cast around him is championship-level, as free agents are looking to leave the squad.
Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis as expected to try and secure a move away from the Wizards in the summer, with both having the ability to go into free agency. The Wizards still want to try and retain those players, so the team is looking at possibly offloading Rui Hachimura.
Hachimura was the 9th pick in the 2019 Draft and is a power forward who can provide an offensive spark to whichever team wants to acquire him, as the Wizards are looking to move on from him.
The Wizards have started trade talks centered on Rui Hachimura, potentially clearing a logjam at forward, sources tell me and @JoshuaBRobbins.
More details, including what this could mean for Kyle Kuzma, at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/g6d34NVTCB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 18, 2023
The Washington Wizards have begun trade discussions with multiple teams centered on fourth-year forward Rui Hachimura, The Athletic has learned from league sources.
Hachimura, who is set to become a restricted free agent in July, has drawn interest from several Western Conference teams in need of scoring, league sources said. (h/t The Athletic)
Hachimura is also in the last year of his contract, so there’s a chance that the price for acquiring him isn’t too high. Teams like the Phoenix Suns have previously been linked to Rui and now they can push to get the job done.
Are The Wizards Keeping The Right Player?
Trading Hachimura while keeping Kuzma shows that the Wizards want to keep the best players around Bradley Beal. However, Kuzma can very easily walk out for nothing while Hachimura would still be a restricted free agent whose contract they can match. Having too many forwards isn’t a bad thing until all the forwards leave as free agents.
Hachimura’s development has plateaued in recent years after his open struggles with his mental health. He is playing really well in January and has overcome a slow start to the season. He is averaging 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
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