Sac/Wash

[OxAndFox]

With all the news coming out from Washington about Kuzma and Jones, both of which are that the price isn't as steep as first thought do the Kings pounce?

Wash Trades: Kuzma/Jones

Sac Trades: Huerter/Lyles/Davion/Duarte/'26 1st lottery prot for '26-'28 then turns into 2 x 2nds/'24 Sac 2nd/'25 Por 2nd/'25 Sac 2nd/$3m cash

Why:
Washington: Huerter is still only 25. Coulibaly can continue to develop as well with this move, it's not going to stunt his growth. There is a line-up shuffle and going small for Washington. Wizards try out Davion and kick the tires on Lyles/Duarte. This move sets up the Wizards with over $30m in expiring salary next year which will be extremely useful given the new CBA and the effects teams are going to have. They also get the ask in terms of draft capital that's been put out there, not 2 x 1sts for Kuzma and multiple 2nds for Jones. The cash goes towards waiving Livers/Gill. Not sure what the Wizards rotation would be but something like below?

Poole/Davion/Wright
Coulibaly/Shamet/Duarte
Huerter/Kispert
Deni/Lyles
Gafford/Bagley

Sacramento: Roll the dice on Kuzma that he can elevate the team from 5-8 territory into that 2-4 territory and HCA in the POs. Also, get a steady backup PG that controls the tempo and flow of the offense. Barnes moves to the bench and becomes the "focal" point there. Murray/Kuzma/Barnes take the majority of minutes at the 3/4. This makes them a little thin on the perimeter so they will need to come by a player from the buyout market (or just sign Snell! he can still bury a 3 and would be a great PR hit).
Convert Ellis into a rostered player.

Fox/Ty. Jones/Ellis
Monk/Co. Jones/Snell??
Murray/Vezenkov/Edwards
Kuzma/Barnes/
Sabonis/Len/McGee

[OGSactownballer]

So not really interested in Jones. He doesn’t help us the way that Schroeder would and I. This deal he costs pieces that we need to keep for a deep playoff run.

I’d pull Huerter and the $3 million cash and sub I. Barnes. Then pull Lyles as he actually is our small/stretch back up Center. Leave the rest in but I’d be more comfortable with ‘25-‘27 on the pick (getting through the Kuzma contract) and maybe drop the POR second or the other ones. Either not all.

[OxAndFox]

So not really interested in Jones. He doesn’t help us the way that Schroeder would and I. This deal he costs pieces that we need to keep for a deep playoff run.

I’d pull Huerter and the $3 million cash and sub I. Barnes. Then pull Lyles as he actually is our small/stretch back up Center. Leave the rest in but I’d be more comfortable with ‘25-‘27 on the pick (getting through the Kuzma contract) and maybe drop the POR second or the other ones. Either not all.

That's fair enough. The depth would absolutely be a problem.

[penbeast0]

From Washington, no thank you. Especially with Barnes instead of Huerter who is pure negative value for a team in the Wiz's situation. Huerter at least is only 25.

The draft compensation is light for Kuzma alone, not close for Kuzma plus Tyus Jones, so the Wiz would have to value Huerter as a mid lottery 1st to be interested in just Kuzma for Huerter and filler as a lottery protected pick in 26 that may convert to 2nds plus a couple of other 2nds just isn't that attractive for a team with a lot of 2nds in those years already.

[nate33]

I've lost the will to even respond to any Kuzma trade proposals.

It's really not complicated. The Wizards are totally fine keeping Kuzma in the short and intermediate term. If they don't get a good trade offer for him, they'll keep him. He gets cheaper every year so his trade value is likely to improve.

It may well be true that Kuzma has little trade value at the moment, particularly with his decline in shooting over the past month or so. But if that's the case, then don't bother with a trade proposal at all.

This trade proposal is just a swap of a bunch of mediocre, well-paid rotation players for Kuzma. The pick value is barely enough for Tyus Jones.

[CraftylikeaFox]

I've lost the will to even respond to any Kuzma trade proposals.

It's really not complicated. The Wizards are totally fine keeping Kuzma in the short and intermediate term. If they don't get a good trade offer for him, they'll keep him. He gets cheaper every year so his trade value is likely to improve.

It may well be true that Kuzma has little trade value at the moment, particularly with his decline in shooting over the past month or so. But if that's the case, then don't bother with a trade proposal at all.

This trade proposal is just a swap of a bunch of mediocre, well-paid rotation players for Kuzma. The pick value is barely enough for Tyus Jones.

Agreed Washington should feel no rush to move him. He's not stealing minutes from any young talent and he's not on a bad contract.

[LightTheBeam]

I really hope we avoid Kuzma. Can't say it enough. I'll trust Monte either way, but I just can't imagine this guy has anything more than neutral value. 19 shots to get 22pts, gives no effort on defense, shoots 33% from 3.

I'm just trying to figure out what problem he solves for Sac? We get slightly better rebounding? Worse 3pt shooting, a guy taking inefficient shots while keeping the ball away from our efficient guys.

It's making a move just to make a move.

[OGSactownballer]

From Washington, no thank you. Especially with Barnes instead of Huerter who is pure negative value for a team in the Wiz's situation. Huerter at least is only 25.

The draft compensation is light for Kuzma alone, not close for Kuzma plus Tyus Jones, so the Wiz would have to value Huerter as a mid lottery 1st to be interested in just Kuzma for Huerter and filler as a lottery protected pick in 26 that may convert to 2nds plus a couple of other 2nds just isn't that attractive for a team with a lot of 2nds in those years already.

Understandable.

To be clear, I don’t actually want Kuzma anywhere NEAR the Kings. His move to WAS showed the rest of the league that he is exactly what everyone thought - a legend in his own mind and a chucker. And without a strong personality and force like LeBron there, he loses any sort of team focus.

And please understand this is not a shot at your team. It’s specifically Kuzma who I find to be insanely overrated.

So as the next poster after you says I am pretty sure that unless WAS is willing to move him as the role player he is and not an ask like two number ones or young talent, you are going to be stuck with him hoping that once the roster balance is better value can be recovered for him.

It’s unfortunate that the personalities of him and Poole just ruin a locker room. There is some nice young talent there and I think that Tyus could have had his breakout as a solid starter if not for that.

[Texas Chuck]

I've lost the will to even respond to any Kuzma trade proposals.

It's really not complicated. The Wizards are totally fine keeping Kuzma in the short and intermediate term. If they don't get a good trade offer for him, they'll keep him. He gets cheaper every year so his trade value is likely to improve.

It may well be true that Kuzma has little trade value at the moment, particularly with his decline in shooting over the past month or so. But if that's the case, then don't bother with a trade proposal at all.

Definitely a reasonable perspective.

The one thing I'll say is like what I say to Portland fans on Grant(though Kuzma's deal is obviously much smaller) -- when you see a player putting up counting totals, but clearly not driving winning, and with a history of not driving winning -- sometimes there is a real gain in getting off the money and the risk of injury making the deal get worse not better with time. I agree his value should go up, but probably not ever to where he's a super valuable asset, so its balanced by the added risk of keeping the deal on the books.

Like Kuzma for any first and expirings feels like a positive. Maybe not the direction Washington chooses. After all they chose to pay him. They chose to trade Paul for Poole. Neither are moves I would have made after the value deals in trading KP and Beal. Felt like finally Washington was going to tear it to the studs and start over and then they didn't. For worse players than they traded.

So I know Washington tends to prefer to keep these kinds of players but its logical from the outside to say get off the deal, take a small asset, start fresh. Even knowing the actual team probably won't do that because they never do.

[OxAndFox]

From Washington, no thank you. Especially with Barnes instead of Huerter who is pure negative value for a team in the Wiz's situation. Huerter at least is only 25.

The draft compensation is light for Kuzma alone, not close for Kuzma plus Tyus Jones, so the Wiz would have to value Huerter as a mid lottery 1st to be interested in just Kuzma for Huerter and filler as a lottery protected pick in 26 that may convert to 2nds plus a couple of other 2nds just isn't that attractive for a team with a lot of 2nds in those years already.

It is with Huerter and not Barnes.

[penbeast0]

From Washington, no thank you. Especially with Barnes instead of Huerter who is pure negative value for a team in the Wiz's situation. Huerter at least is only 25.

The draft compensation is light for Kuzma alone, not close for Kuzma plus Tyus Jones, so the Wiz would have to value Huerter as a mid lottery 1st to be interested in just Kuzma for Huerter and filler as a lottery protected pick in 26 that may convert to 2nds plus a couple of other 2nds just isn't that attractive for a team with a lot of 2nds in those years already.

It is with Huerter and not Barnes.

I was responding to the follow-up poster as well. Huerter would have more value if that weren't the one position where we are pretty deep.

[OxAndFox]

From Washington, no thank you. Especially with Barnes instead of Huerter who is pure negative value for a team in the Wiz's situation. Huerter at least is only 25.

The draft compensation is light for Kuzma alone, not close for Kuzma plus Tyus Jones, so the Wiz would have to value Huerter as a mid lottery 1st to be interested in just Kuzma for Huerter and filler as a lottery protected pick in 26 that may convert to 2nds plus a couple of other 2nds just isn't that attractive for a team with a lot of 2nds in those years already.

It is with Huerter and not Barnes.

I was responding to the follow-up poster as well. Huerter would have more value if that weren't the one position where we are pretty deep.

Ahhh Gotcha.