Just like the stock market or gambling, you have to know when it’s the right time to make a move. In the realm of the NBA, it’s all about getting value for your most valuable players but the question is, does the league value your players like you do?
Bradley Beal formed the best backcourt ever seen in DC (I was born in 1985). Gil and Larry Hughes were nice, but they weren’t Wall and Beal. Beal, just like John Wall, gave back to the DC community and will always be loved for doing so. Great player, yes. Great human, absolutely. Franchise cornerstone and player worthy of a No Trade Clause, hell to the naw naw. The best chance that the Wizards had to trade Beal at his peak value was the same year they traded Russ to the Lakers. The Warriors were rumored to have offered Wiggins, Wiseman, and two lottery picks (who ended up being Moody and Kuminga) for Beal but they retained him. Not only that, they paid him a Super-Max contract which included a No Trade Clause. When it came to eventually trading him, they dealt with the same issue that the Suns are dealing with now, his NTC. Which limited the trade options for the Wizards and how much they could get back in return.
Which takes us to Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma, like Beal and Wall before him. Produced on the court and gave off of it. He took over as the number one scoring option and voice of the locker room. Like I said, you gotta know when it’s time. The team shopped him at the deadline last season for the asking price of two-round picks. Last year, the Wizards had a deal in place with the Dallas Mavericks but the Wizards gave Kuzma the heads up and choice, and he decided to stay in DC. Fast forward to this season. I don’t think he wants to stay in DC. Reports from around the league indicate that due to his dip in play and recent injuries, his value has fallen and teams are hesitant to make a move for him. Can the Wizards find the right deal for Kuzma, that’s a big maybe right now but we’ll see.
