Trade Deadline 2023: Washington Wizards Mock Deadline

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  • By Steven Bagell

    Last Updated on February 7, 2024 10:45 pm by Mike Passador | Published: January 18, 2023

    GM: Matt Moderno, @mattmodderno

    Salary Cap: $149,920,638

    Luxury Tax: $346,362

    โ€ข Given they are right under the tax threshold and unlikely to go into the tax, they need to find a way to shed money with any move they make

    GOAL: Move Kyle Kuzma because heโ€™s going to leave in free agency anyway. Is it time to consider moving Bradley Beal? Try to get a win-now piece for Kuzma

    Priorities

    โ€ข Get the best trade you can for Kuzma before he walks and you lose him for nothing

    โ€ข Donโ€™t go over the tax

    โ€ข Decide which direction you want this team to go, they shouldโ€™ve blown it up years ago

    Players to Dangle

    Bradley Beal (5/$251)

    o ย  Salary: $43,279,250

    o ย  Can salary match up to $54,199,062

    o ย  Full no trade clause so heโ€™d have to agree to be traded to specific team

    Will Barton (1/$14.4)

    o ย  Salary: $14,375,000

    o ย  Can salary match up to $19,375,000 if you can avoid the tax or $18,068,750 if in the tax, which you want to avoid

    Kyle Kuzma (2/$26 w/ PO in โ€˜23-โ€™24)

    o ย  Salary: $13,000,000

    o ย  Can match up to $18,000,000 if out of tax or $16,350,000 if in tax

    o ย  Heโ€™s the most likely name out of everyone to be moved

    o ย  Target teams

    โ€ข Atlanta
    โ€ข Phoenix
    โ€ข Utah
    โ€ข Sacramento
    โ€ข New York
    โ€ข LA Clippers
    โ€ข LA Lakers
    โ€ข Dallas
    โ€ข Brooklyn

    Rui Hachimura (1/$6.3)

    o ย  Salary: $6,263,188

    o ย  Can match up to $11,060,579 if out of the tax or $7,928,985 if in the tax

    o ย  Itโ€™s already been speculated that heโ€™s been put in trade offers for Jae Crowder, his expiring deal makes it likely heโ€™ll be traded

    Assets Owned

    โ€ข TPE: $5,220,900
    โ€ข TPE: $3,980,551
    โ€ข     2023 1st (lotto protected to NYK)
    โ€ข 2024 1st (top 12 protected to NYK if โ€˜23 1st not conveyed)
    โ€ข 2025 1st (top 10 protected to NYK if โ€˜23 or โ€˜24 1st not conveyed)
    โ€ข 2026 1st (top 8 protected to NYK if โ€˜23-โ€™25 first not conveyed)
    โ€ข 2027 1st
    โ€ข 2028 1st
    โ€ข 2029 1st
    โ€ข 2023 or 2024 BOS 2nd (2023 2nd protected 31-45, if not conveyed then 2024 2nd)
    โ€ข 2025 2nd (less favorable of own and GSW)
    โ€ข 2026 2nd (conveyed to NYK if โ€˜23-โ€™26 1st not conveyed)
    โ€ข 2027 2nd (conveyed to NYK if โ€˜23-โ€™26 1st not conveyed)
    โ€ข 2029 2nd

    Mock Trades to Date (Feb 2 Deadline)

     

    Kings trade star rookie for an upgrade in a 3-team deal

    TRADE: Kings acquire Kyle Kuzma, Cory Joseph, and Hamidou Diallo

    Wizards receive: Keegan Murray, Davion Mitchell, Matthew Dellavedova, and Alec Burks

    Pistons receive: Will Barton, Alex Len, 2025 WSH 2nd, SAC 2028 2nd, 2025 SAC 2nd

     

    This is one that wonโ€™t happen in real life, but Sacramento was insistent on it. For the Kings, they are currently the 3 seed in the west and clearly like their chances of making a deep playoff run. As a result, they traded Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell in a deal for Kuzma. The Kings have had interest in Kuzma since they agreed to terms on a trade for him for Buddy Hield with the Lakers. The Kings also felt confident that Kuzma would re-sign, given they provide him with a certain lifestyle that he desires. While Keegan realistically wonโ€™t be moved and this was a steep price to pay for an expiring deal, a package like this may be what it takes to pry Kuzma away from the Wizards.ย 

    For the Wizards, in real life theyโ€™ve basically deemed Kuzma untouchable for reasons beyond me. I personally donโ€™t think heโ€™ll re-sign, but maybe Washington knows something that the general public doesnโ€™t. But Washington has needed to rebuild for quite some time, so getting a guy like Keegan Murray in town is the start of that possibility. Sacramento has had a 15-year playoff drought, and this is just further pushing in their chips to fortify themselves as a contender. Last year we had Sacramento trading Tyrese Haliburton in a Ben Simmons deal when we did this exercise, and it seemed far-fetched that theyโ€™d trade Haliburton at this point last year too. Again, Murray wonโ€™t be moved, but crazier things have happened. Sacramento also acquired a backup point guard in Joseph and an athletic freak in Diallo. The Wizards were further able to flip Will Barton, who has quickly fallen out of favor in Washington, for a perceived upgrade in Alec Burks for just the price of a 2025 2nd-round pick.ย 

    For Detroit, they get three second-round picks for Burks, Diallo, and Joseph. While Detroitโ€™s goal was to acquire more picks and Joseph and Diallo for a second round pick each is fine, they shouldโ€™ve been able to get more for Alec Burks. However, Detroit acquired Burks this past offseason along with Nerlens Noel in addition to a first-round pick for a salary dump, so adding to that first isnโ€™t bad business by Detroit either.ย 

    January 18, 2023, 12:16 pm