Washington Wizards

There could potentially be some movement at the top of the 2024 NBA draft.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported that the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockers are "listening to trade offers for their selections" in the first round. The Hawks, Wizards and Rockets own the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 picks, respectively.

O'Connor also reported that the Hawks are targeting UConn center Donovan Clingan but would prefer to move down to select him. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected that Clingan would go No. 6 in the draft in his latest mock draft, so the Hawks might have to find a trade in the top half of the lottery.

Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Reed Sheppard are among the prospects who could go in the top three. The reported availability of the top three selections means some chaos could occur on draft night.

The Hawks are at a crossroads, with players like Dejounte Murray, Trae Young and Clint Capela reportedly on the trade block. Atlanta went 36-46 and lost in the play-in tournament, so the Hawks front office needs to figure out the best path for the future.

The Wizards went 15-67 in the first year of their rebuild and desperately need more young talent. However, their biggest priority with the selection should be getting the highest value possible. A trade may be the best way to do that.

Houston is the closest to contention of the three teams, so moving the pick for a more NBA-ready player could be of great interest. The Rockets went 41-41 last season and finished just outside of the play-in tournament.

The first round of the NBA draft will take place June 26 at 8 p.m. ET.

The Washington Wizards revealed their Statement uniforms for the 2024-25 season early Friday morning.

The uniforms pay special homage to the District of Columbia, falling in line with the Wizards' previous alternates.

These new digs feel like a more eye-popping remix to the previous Statement uniforms, adding three stars and a second red stripe to the jersey. The Wizards also appear to have gone with more eye-popping colors in terms of their choices in reds and blues as well.

The uniforms will serve as alternates to their standard home and away jerseys. Teams typically wear their Statement uniforms for rivalry games and other important contests.

The NBA introduced Statement uniforms during the 2017-18 season, coinciding with Nike taking over as the league's official apparel partner.

It doesn't look like NBA Draft prospect Alex Sarr will have to wait too long to hear his name called on draft night.

In ESPN's latest 2024 NBA Draft Rankings, Jeremy Woo projected that Sarr is an option for the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 1 pick but is unlikely to fall past the Washington Wizards, who hold the No. 2 pick.

"Sarr will be one of the first names off the board on June 26, but the situation at the top of the draft has yet to fully play out," Woo wrote. "He is firmly in the mix as an option for Atlanta at No. 1, but the Hawks are being thorough in gathering information as they move toward their decision. If Atlanta passes on Sarr, Washington is strongly shaping up as a landing spot, with rival teams believing the Wizards at No. 2 to be his floor."

Woo and Jonathan Givony ranked Sarr as the No. 2 prospect available in the latest ranking, behind forward Zaccharie Risacher. Both Risacher and Sarr are French, which could mean that a French player is taken No. 1 in two consecutive drafts after the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama No. 1 in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Sarr averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 24 games for Perth of the National Basketball League in Australia. He is listed at 7'1", 224 pounds and could really help a team in need of a strong presence by the hoop.

The Hawks went 36-46 and reached the play-in tournament but did not advance to the postseason. It obtained the No. 1 pick after winning the draft lottery, and incumbent center Clint Capela is rumored to be on the trade block.

While this could clear a starting path for Sarr, Atlanta will surely make the pick that it views as the most pressing need. Washington, however definitely could be in the market for a young center after trading Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline.

The Wizards went 15-67 and are in the midst of a rebuild, so going with the best player available is in its best interest. Woo projects that Sarr could fit that description, so it appears like his possible destinations are down to two franchises.

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft will take place June 26 at 8 P.M. ET.

The Washington Wizards announced they hired interim coach Brian Keefe as the full-time replacement for Wes Unseld Jr. on Wednesday.

"We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people," general manager Will Dawkins said. "As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest into the development of our players. His wealth of experience will help move our team forward as we build for long-term sustained success."

The Wizards fired Unseld in January after less than three seasons. Unseld went 77-130 in Washington, failing to make the playoffs during his tenure.

Keefe replaced Unseld, going 8-31, a record that was far from great but marked an improvement from Unseld's performance with the same roster. Keefe was in his first season as an assistant after previously spending time with the Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.

In his first full-time job as a head coach, Keefe will have his work cut out with this Washington roster. The Wizards had the NBA's second-worst record last season but were also a dreadfully unserious team. Their games were rife with bad shot selection, questionable body language and an overall ethos that screamed a lack of care.

Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole, who are set to make around $53 million in salary in 2024-25, were often the main culprits of the head-scratching plays. It's likely the Wizards will explore trading one or both players this offseason, but odds are few teams will be willing to take on their salaries.

Washington will have the No. 2 overall pick in next month's NBA draft, but this is not considered a strong class. It's unlikely the Wizards will find a foundational piece that can help turn their fortunes around quickly.

More likely, this job will require years of patience. It's a job for a coach who is given a long leash to experiment and grow with the roster, not one where instant improvement can be expected.

With a stronger class of potential stars coming in the 2025 draft, though, the Wizards could be a little more lottery luck away from some hope.

The Washington Wizards are reportedly expected to explore trading forward Kyle Kuzma this summer.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported teams plan to "circle back" with the Wizards regarding Kuzma deals during the offseason. Washington nearly traded Kuzma to the Dallas Mavericks at the deadline in February.

Kuzma averaged a career-high 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last season. While his individual stats were solid, the Wizards slogged through a 15-67 season and Kuzma did not do much to prop up teammates. Kuzma and Jordan Poole were essentially the poster children for one of the league's most confounding teams.

Still, Kuzma has a manageable four-year, $90 million contract that de-escalates every year moving forward. He will make $23.2 million in 2024-25, followed by $21.5 million in 2025-26 and $19.4 million in 2026-27. Given the soaring rates of contracts around the NBA, getting a 20-point scorer at that rate is manageable—even if Kuzma has noticeable warts to his game.

It's unlikely Kuzma will be the first choice of any team on the trade market, so the Wizards might have to wait things out. Their best chance at moving him early this offseason will be around the draft, but it's more likely he'll be on the roster well into early July.

Once teams start striking out on free agency and look down the list to their third and fourth options, giving up assets for a player like Kuzma might be more palatable.

Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma will be on the trade market during the offseason, according to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.

Per Fischer, the Wizards previously attempted to move the 28-year-old ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline although a deal never materialized after their asking price was "too rich for most rival teams."

In 70 starts during the 2023-24 season, Kuzma averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field.

He still has three seasons left on a four-year, $90 million deal that he signed with Washington in July 2023. The descending value of the contract could entice opposing teams that are looking to trade for him, as he'll have a cap hit of just under $20 million during the 2026-27 season (via Spotrac).

With the salary cap potentially increasing by 10 percent annually starting with the 2025-26 season due to a new TV deal, the tail end of Kuzma's contract could end up looking like a steal (h/t Keith Smith of Spotrac).

While Kuzma's impressive offensive production hasn't resulted in wins for the Wizards, it isn't difficult to imagine him thriving in a smaller role on a team with playoff aspirations. He's developed into a reliable three-level scorer in Washington, averaging 2.3 made three-pointers per game over the past two seasons.

There should be several suitors for Kuzma on the trade market, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that he's "expected to be coveted again on the trade market by rival teams" prior to the 2024 NBA draft.

For Washington, it's likely easier for the front office to move the 28-year-old and pivot towards a full-scale rebuild after winning the No. 2 overall pick in the draft during the lottery on May 12.

If the Wizards decide to come down from their previous high asking price, Kuzma could be on the move during the summer.

The Washington Wizards currently hold the Nos. 2 and 26 selections in this year's NBA draft as they fully embark on a rebuilding phase of the organization.

But despite this year's draft class generally being considered a weak one, Washington reportedly "will look to acquire another first-round pick in the draft," according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

General manager Will Dawkins began Washington's rebuild last season, trading away Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, Kristaps Porziņģis to the Boston Celtics and sending Chris Paul—who was acquired in the Beal deal—to the Golden State Warriors in a deal that netted the team Jordan Poole.

At the draft, he landed Bilal Coulibaly in the first round and Tristan Vukčević in the second.

It was a tough season in Washington. The team went just 15-67, Poole was more notable as a meme than an effective player and Coulibaly (8.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG) showed flashes but was inconsistent before a fractured wrist ended his rookie season.

There are some young, potential building blocks in Washington.

Coulibaly and Vukčević have room to grow into solid players. Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert look like solid NBA role players. Any team that has Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma as its top two options is going to suffer, but the Wizards should continue transitioning into a younger team and build around the draft.

Still, trying to acquire more draft capital this year feels like a curious choice. As ESPN's Zach Lowe reported after the lottery, Alex Sarr is the only prospect widely considered to be at or near the top on most draft boards, and behind him is "chaos."

He continued:

Team officials expect several teams might investigate the return for trading down a few slots—only to have trouble finding a trade partner eager to deal meaningful assets to move up.

In the weeks leading to Sunday, even officials from teams who stood to potentially lose their first-round picks depending on the luck of the draw—the Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors among them—seemed indifferent to the results.

So the Wizards would definitely be zigging while the rest of the NBA zags if they make a serious push to land a third first-rounder in June. But the counterpoint is that if they identify a few players they really love, trying to get back in the first round may never be cheaper.

Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma "is expected to be coveted again on the trade market" leading up to the 2024 NBA draft, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

Despite going on to finish as one of the worst teams in the league, the Wizards held firm at the February deadline and declined to cash in on Kuzma's trade value.

The 28-year-old's contract meant the opportunity would probably present itself again down the road. He's signed through 2026-27 and his $22.5 million average salary is pretty reasonable given what he delivers on the court. The deal was front-loaded as well, meaning his payout will fall to $19.4 million in the final year.

Kuzma averaged 22.2 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 33.6 percent from beyond the arc in 70 games this season.

Some of his stats are undoubtedly inflated because he's playing on such a bad team. Bradley Beal's trade to the Phoenix Suns also coincided with him having the highest usage rate (29.7 percent) of his career, per Basketball Reference.

Were he to be traded, the 6'9" forward is unlikely to be the leading figure elsewhere he is right now in Washington. His skill set should be transferrable to a lot of different teams, though, which is why he has been such a regular trade target in the past.

After staying put, Kuzma told The Athletic's Josh Robbins in February there was a moment when the Dallas Mavericks "definitely did want me." However, he indicated to Washington's front office he was happy to stick around.

"Winger presented me with what the trade was and obviously didn't want to trade me and kind of left the decision up to me a little bit and asked me what I wanted to do," he said. "I told him I wanted to stay and continue to build something. And that was kind of the end of it."

Considering how far away the Wizards appear to be from contending again, it's easy to foresee a situation — maybe as early as this summer — where Kuzma's or the Wizards' mindset changes.

Based on Scotto's report, rival teams are prepared to test the two parties' resolve.

The Washington Wizards have landed the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft after the lottery results were revealed on Sunday afternoon in Chicago.

This is an interesting draft year, as there isn't any one dominant prospect teams covet a la Victor Wembanyama last season or Zion Williamson in 2019.

There's also a host of international players and G-League stars who will be populating the first round, many of whom will find themselves chosen in the lottery.

A few players who built their resumes in college will be coveted, though, and one of them is UConn big man and two-time national champion Donovan Clingan.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman listed the 7'2", 280-pound Clingan 11th on his latest NBA draft big board, writing in part:

"Donovan Clingan feels like one of the draft's easiest bets to be a positive NBA contributor and valued starter at his position. A 280-pound center who doesn't shoot, handle or operate outside the paint may just need the right roster construction around him. Regardless, for two seasons he showed he could use his enormous frame, feet, length and reactions to block shots, contest in pick-and-roll coverage, own the glass and pick up easy baskets."

In his last pre-lottery mock draft, Wasserman had Clingan going fifth overall to the Charlotte Hornets.

Clingan's dominant sophomore season at UConn undoubtedly turned heads. He averaged 13.0 points on 63.9 percent shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes per game.

Clingan notably helped UConn win all 12 of their NCAA tournament games over the past two seasons by double digits. During this year's March Madness run, he posted 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per outing.

At 15-67, the Wizards need a lot of help everywhere, but that's especially the case down low after the team dealt starting center Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks before the trade deadline.

Long-term, the Wizards have Jordan Poole and Deni Avidja on the wing with Kyle Kuzma operating in a hybrid role on the perimeter. They don't have any long-term options at center or point guard right now, though, and Clingan could help fill one of the spots.

For now, Wizards fans seem intrigued about the prospect of Clingan landing in D.C.

We'll see where Washington lands soon enough with the draft beginning Wednesday, June 26 in Brooklyn. We'll also get a better sense of where the prospects shake out after the NBA Scouting Combine this week.