Washington Wizards

Conflicting reports have emerged regarding what the Washington Wizards want in return for forward Kyle Kuzma in a potential trade.

According to David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, league sources have said the Wizards want two first-round picks in exchange for Kuzma, but sources close to the team have indicated that the reported asking price is "somewhat overblown."

Aldridge and Robbins noted that the true asking price for the 28-year-old is "probably somewhere in the middle."

Washington acquired Kuzma from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021 and subsequently signed him to a four-year, $90 million contract extension this past summer.

With the re-signing of Kuzma and the acquisition of guards Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones, there was some hope that the Wizards could be playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference this season, but that hasn't been the case.

At 9-37, they have the second-worst record in the conference ahead of only the 6-40 Detroit Pistons.

Kuzma has been among the Wizards' only bright spots this season, leading the team with 21.9 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 three-pointers made per contest.

The veteran's scoring and assist numbers are career bests, plus he is currently matching the best mark of his career by shooting 45.6 percent from the field.

Given his offensive ability, Kuzma would likely be of interest to contending teams leading up to the Feb. 8 trade deadline, although his contract presents a bit of an issue.

Kuzma is scheduled to earn an average of over $20 million per year for the next three seasons, and there may not be many teams willing to take on that type of financial commitment.

Because of that, the Wizards may have to settle for less than two first-round picks if they are indeed motivated to move Kuzma.

Kuzma's contract is a solid value considering what he has produced this season, although he likely wouldn't be a 20-point-per-game guy as the third scoring option on a playoff team.

The Wizards are going nowhere fast and are likely best off building through the draft and around young players currently on the roster such as Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly.

Trading Kuzma would likely bring back at least a couple of valuable assets, and it would give the Utah product a chance to contend rather than wallowing on a cellar-dweller that is likely years away from contention.

As the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline approaches, ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes that Washington Wizards' point guard Tyus Jones could be on the move.

On his podcast, Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, he said Jones is the "most likely" Wizard to be traded at the deadline. ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon agreed and also mentioned center Daniel Gafford as a potential piece to be moved.

Jones, who was dealt to Washington from the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason, is putting up 12.4 points, 6.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game this year while shooting an efficient 50.4% from the field and 41.8% from deep.

If the Wizards decide to trade Jones, they could be looking for a substantial return. According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, Washington is looking for "at least a first-round pick" in return for Jones. Fischer noted that the asking price for Jones could be an effect of the Miami Heat trading Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick for Charlotte Hornets point guard Terry Rozier, setting the standard for what a point guard is worth in this year's NBA landscape.

The pressure for the Wizards to acquire a first-round pick for Jones also comes from ownership. According Windhorst, Washington's front office has been given a mandate from ownership to collect first-round picks at the trade deadline.

"They have to do this," Windhorst said. "That's a mandate."

Washington is having a dreadful start to the season at 7-37 and the Wizards ultimately decided to move head coach Wes Unseld Jr. to the front office and make Brian Keefe, who was formerly an assistant, the interim head coach, marking a change in direction midway through the season.

The Wizards are clearly in rebuild mode, so racking up first-round picks will be instrumental to their growth moving forward.

Wes Unseld Jr. is out as Washington Wizards head coach amid the team's 7-36 start this season, but he will remain with the organization.

According to a statement from Wizards president Michael Winger, Unseld will transition to an advisory role in the front office. Brian Keefe will serve as the interim head coach.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Keefe will finish the regular season before the Wizards hire a full-time coach during the offseason.

Unseld was in his third season as Washington's head coach and had a 77-130 record. He began his coaching career with the Wizards as an assistant from 2005 to 2011.

When the Wizards declined to promote Unseld after the 2010-11 season, he left to become an assistant on Mark Jackson's staff with the Golden State Warriors.

After one season with the Warriors, Unseld joined the Orlando Magic. He was fired, along with the entire coaching staff, midway through the 2014-15 season.

Unseld's longest stint as a coach with one organization was six seasons with the Denver Nuggets from 2015 to '21. He was hired when Michael Malone took over as head coach.

Then-Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly previously worked under Unseld's father, Wes Unseld, with the Wizards.

When the Wizards hired Unseld, they were stuck in a state of purgatory because their roster wasn't good enough to contend but they avoided trying to tear everything down. This resulted in back-to-back 35-47 records in his first two seasons.

The Wizards finally went in on a rebuild over the summer by trading Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porziņģis. Their results on the floor have been rough with an offense and defense that ranks in the bottom 10 in the NBA.

Washington's 7-36 record is the second-worst in the league, ahead of only the Detroit Pistons (5-39). The team is in the midst of a five-game losing streak, which includes a 129-117 loss to the Pistons on Jan. 17.

The Washington Wizards aren't looking to move Kyle Kuzma despite the veteran forward garnering outside interest ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski reported on his podcast (via RealGM) the team "has been very reticent with Kyle Kuzma."

"People are calling them," he said. "Teams tell me they call them and they're not getting counters from Washington. If you want to register an offer for Kuzma, fine, you can do it. But they're not at the point now where it seems like they're really active in maybe seriously trying to move him."

The Wizards certainly profile as sellers at the deadline. They have the second-worst record in the league (7-35), and their rebuild is only just getting started after they traded Bradley Beal ahead of the season.

In Kuzma, the front office has a trade asset it can flip to continue building a long-term foundation. Based on Wojnarowski's report and an earlier story from NBA insider Marc Stein, the team is in no rush to do that.

Stein reported last Sunday the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks have Kuzma on their radar. Washington, though, is looking to get back "at least" two first-round picks.

"And the implication is they will be seeking higher quality picks than Toronto received from Indiana in the [Pascal] Siakam trade; two of the three future first-rounders sent to the Raptors by Indiana are from the oft-maligned 2024 draft this June," he added.

Kuzma's contract gives the Wizards some time to wait. He's only in the first year of his four-year, $90 million deal, and his annual salary steadily descends until he's due to collect $19.4 million in 2026-27.

General manager Will Dawkins doesn't need to rush into a trade.

There's always a chance a team becomes desperate in the middle of the season and tables an offer that goes above and beyond. Waiting until the offseason may, however, allow the Wizards to maximize their return for Kuzma if they're more prepared to entertain calls.

The Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings have both shown interest in Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein reported the Kings have reached out to the Wizards, who are requesting at least two first-round picks for the 28-year-old.

Kuzma signed a four-year contract with Washington in the offseason, giving the team leverage at the negotiating table and little urgency to move him now.

His performance the court has stabilized his trade value as well. Through 42 games, he's averaging 21.8 points and 6.4 rebounds and shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Kuzma would check the boxes Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban outlined in terms of the kind of player who could help the team right now.

"If we can get a big who can also create off the dribble, that'd be a plus," he said on The Freak-FM 97.1's Ben and Skin Show (via Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News).

Cuban added the player would be "6'8" or bigger," another qualification the 6'9" Kuzma would meet.

For the Kings, Kuzma would be an upgrade over Harrison Barnes.

Barnes has historically been a better shooter (39.4 percent on threes this year and 37.9 percent for his career), but Kuzma is a superior scorer. His playmaking also surpasses that of Barnes. He has averaged 3.8 assists per game since his 2021 trade to Washington.

In general, a Kuzma trade is probably inevitable.

The Wizards are going nowhere for the time being with a 7-35 record that's the second-worst in the NBA. By the time they're in a position to contend again, Kuzma might be close to free agency or out of contract entirely.

Based on Stein's report, though, the front office is content to wait for a suitable offer.

The Washington Wizards are reportedly in no hurry to trade Kyle Kuzma.

"Given Kuzma's descending contract, there's no immediate urgency for the Wizards to part with their leading scorer, given he'll retain his value going forward and is considered a positive asset by rival executives," Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported.

Scotto noted Washington "would need future first-round picks beyond the 2024 draft with the potential to become lottery picks to consider parting with their best player."

That's not a surprising position for the Wizards.

While they are 7-32 and already playing out the string on a lost season, Kuzma is under contract through the 2026-27 season. He is making $25.6 million in base salary this season before that number drops to $23.5 million in 2024-25, $21.5 million in 2025-26 and $19.4 million in 2026-27.

It's not as if he can potentially leave in free agency during the upcoming offseason, so Washington will either have plenty of other opportunities to trade him in future seasons or perhaps be reliant on him as part of a future contender if it can improve over the course of that contract.

That means other teams will have to offer quite the deal in return for the Wizards if they are going to part with the forward who is averaging a career-best 22.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season.

The Washington Wizards have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, going just 7-31, and should fully be in rebuild mode going forward.

That means players like Kyle Kuzma should very much be on the trade block as the Wizards look to stock up on young players and draft assets. And according to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, "League sources peg Kuzma's current price tag to be something in the vein of two first-round picks or equivalent value."

The 28-year-old has been Washington's best player, averaging 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three. But he's sorely miscast as a top offensive option, and likely would be best-suited serving as a third option for a contender.

It's questionable whether such a team would give up multiple firsts for Kuzma, as Vecenie noted. But his four-year, $90 million contract—which deescalates in value and will pay him $23.5 million next season, $21.4 million in 2025-26 and $19.4 million in 2026-27—is a solid value for the role he'd be asked to play.

Kuzma has filled the third option role before, doing so for two seasons behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 12.8 points per game in the 2020-21 season in that role and 12.9 points per contest the following year before being dealt to the Wizards in the ill-fated Russell Westbrook deal.

On the struggling Wizards, he's stepped into top billing, but the team is eventually going to turn that distinction over to younger players. The ceiling for a Kuzma-led team is about what the Wizards have shown this season.

If the season ended today, the Wizards would be one of three teams with top odds (14 percent) at landing the top overall pick, joining the similarly hapless Detroit Pistons (3-26) and San Antonio Spurs (7-31).

What those teams have that Washington lacks, however, is direction. The Pistons are compiling a young core around Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. The Spurs have their superstar-of-the-future in Victor Wembanyama.

Even other struggling teams like the Charlotte Hornets (LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller) and Portland Trail Blazers (Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons) have clear pieces they are building around.

But not these Wizards. It's time for the team to embrace a full rebuild, and dealing Kuzma would set that in motion.

Former Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors guard Ryan Rollins has been charged with alleged shoplifting from a Target store, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

In documents on file at Alexandria General District Court, police said that the 21-year-old stole small household items that included groceries, body wash and candles from the department store on seven different occasions. The incidents reportedly took place from Sep. 9 to Nov. 9.

Rollins was charged with seven counts of petit larceny, and the items alleged to have been stolen in each incident were reportedly valued at less than $1,000. He was on Washington's roster at the time of the alleged shoplifting occurrences.

Robbins noted that petit larceny of goods worth less than $1,000 from a business is classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia. A court date has been set in early February.

Rollins was waived by the Wizards on Monday after appearing in 10 games with the team, averaging 4.1 points per game. Rollins also suited up in four contests for Washington's G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.

The former second-round pick was initially selected by the Warriors with the No. 44 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. During the 2022-23 season, Rollins appeared in 12 games for Golden State.

Rival teams are reportedly monitoring the Washington Wizards' willingness to trade forward Kyle Kuzma.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Kuzma's availability is worth keeping tabs on ahead of February's deadline.

Kuzma signed a four-year, $90 million contract to remain in Washington last summer. The deal contains a 15 percent trade kicker and up to $12 million in potential bonuses.

Kuzma is averaging a career-high 22.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists but the numbers have not come close to translating to wins. Washington has lost five straight games and has the NBA's third-worst record at 6-30.

Kuzma and Jordan Poole have found themselves the subject of social-media derision for their head-scratching shot selection and seeming lack of urgency despite the team's poor play.

It's unclear how much the Wizards could ask for in a trade, but Kuzma's contract does have a team-friendly structure. The deal begins with a $25.6 million base salary for this season and de-escalates down to $19.4 million in 2026-27. Kuzma is certainly not a focal point of a winning basketball team, but he's a quality offensive stretch 4 who has made strides as a playmaker in Washington.

Similarly skilled players will be making significantly more money than Kuzma over the next few years, so it's a situation worth monitoring.

Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma has emerged as a potential trade candidate this winter, but the team's asking price appears to be quite high.

The Wizards "hope to receive multiple first-round picks for Kuzma, with the goal of receiving maximum draft capital for other players down their roster as well," according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The Wizards hit the reset button before entering the 2023-24 campaign, trading Kristaps Porziņģis to the Boston Celtics, Monte Morris to the Detroit Pistons and Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns.

However, those moves appear to have been the beginning of what could be a larger rebuild despite the franchise acquiring Jordan Poole and signing Kuzma to a four-year, $90 million deal.

The Wizards are in the midst of an abysmal season and sit 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 6-27 record. The only team that has been worse is the Detroit Pistons, so it's no surprise Washington is ready to enter a full-scale rebuild.

Kuzma is perhaps the team's most valuable trade asset as he has emerged as a solid offensive contributor since arriving in Washington ahead of the 2021-22 season from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Wizards may be struggling this season, but the 28-year-old is averaging 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 33 games while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from deep.

It's unclear which teams might be interested in Kuzma given his price tag of multiple first-round picks. However, he would be a welcomed addition to any contender seeking upgrades at the deadline.

Could a return to the Lakers be in the cards? The Purple and Gold have been scouring the trade market this winter in pursuit of upgrades to place around LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves—perhaps they would consider bringing Kuzma back.

Considering Kuzma plays the same position as Pascal Siakam, some teams might consider Kuzma their plan-b in the event they don't land the highly-touted Toronto Raptors veteran.

So while Kuzma appears to be available, much of the attention should remain on Siakam.