Brandon Scott here, the host of the daily Locked On Wizards podcast, with your daily Locked On Wizards newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Wizards and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Could a potential John Collins to Kings trade take the Kings out of the Kyle Kuzma sweepstakes?
On the last episode of Locked On Wizards, I discussed a potential trade that would net a 1st round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for the Wizards centered around John Collins of the Utah Jazz. I may not be the only person who thinks the Utah Jazz are ready to offload John Collins’s contract. According to Evan Sidery, an NBA contributor for Forbes, “The Jazz and Kings have conducted exploratory trade talks centered on John Collins. Sacramento can make salaries work while avoiding the tax by including Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles. Collins is averaging 17.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.8% on threes”. Let’s take a look at the mock trade and whether it makes sense for both teams and how it affects the Wizards trade market for Kyle Kuzma.
Jazz receive: Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles
Kings receive: John Collins
This trade is interesting to say the least. The main question is, where does John Collins fit? Would the Kings make Murray a 6th man? If you look at Collins’s contract, they’re not making him a 6th man so again, where does he fit? Huerter and Lyles make sense for the Jazz because Lyles has an expiring contract and Huerter is a sharpshooter who is on a two-year contract that won’t affect their salary cap situation. Are the Wizards a better trade partner, yes.
All three players who are currently being shopped would make sense but Kyle Kuzma is the one who has been linked to Sacramento. Kuzma could come off the bench and provide a scoring spark. Brogdon could work but the Kings like Devin Carter and don’t want to risk his development. Jonas Valanciunas could make sense, he’s a clear upgrade to Alex Len. The Trade Deadline is getting closer and it behooves the Wizards to capitalize and get as much future draft compensation as possible. Could the Kings be a good trade partner for the Wizards, yes but the Wizards should read the market and strike the iron while it’s hot. Stay tuned.
Jan 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives for a shot past Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. | Bill Streicher/Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the rest of the NBA season could just be various instances spent listening to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander go WOOOO to varying decibels and degrees of excitement? It would be, to borrow from a master gone too soon, Lynchian.
If not that, then to watch the Thunder and Cavaliers play each other, over and over, until April 13th. I suspect we still wouldn’t have our fill of these two teams but don’t fret, we’d have a riveting seven game series. Each game a competitive and tight feast for the eyes.
To really get an understanding of how, though relentless pressuring and seamless switching, the Thunder have run away with the first overall defensive rating. That even against a team like Cleveland who pride themselves on the way they’re able to take care of the ball, and their communication skills, OKC can pluck the ball out of the hands of an opponent on a fastbreak, a drive, as if they were walking right up to a kid and taking candy from their hands.
Of course, this all makes it sound like watching these two teams in perpetuity is going to look heavily lopsided for the Thunder. The matchup last night was a wallop for the West, for sure, but Cleveland showed why they’ve been coolly leading the East and the entire league. Rainbow threes from Mitchell, light lobs over the heads of every Thunder player — just then upturned to watch — between Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and fadeaway shots from the corner care of Max Strus.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Analysis The Wizards’ game against the Suns demonstrated significant defensive strategies and statistical insights, highlighting their efficiency in perimeter defense and rebounding. (Bullets Forever)
Replay Catch the highlights of the Wizards’ recent clash with the Suns, showcasing key plays and moments that defined the game. (Bullets Forever)
Rumor The Knicks are reportedly interested in Jonas Valančiūnas, sparking speculation about potential moves involving the Wizards. (Wiz of Awes)
Ranking The latest NBA power rankings give insight into where the Wizards stand compared to other teams after recent performances. (Bleacher Report)
Fantasy Basketball News Roundup: The Tanking In Utah
Jan 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) looks on against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale/Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers are taking tanking to a whole new level. The Jazz have been sitting players like John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler for various reasons. While I understand the incentives for tanking, the odds of getting the number one pick are not high. The NBA has been cracking down on teams resting healthy players, but these two franchises seem to be pushing the boundaries.
As a fantasy analyst, I’ve been advising people to avoid high picks from these teams due to the risk of shutdowns and reduced playing time. It’s frustrating to see this level of blatant tanking, especially when it impacts fantasy basketball managers.
The Memphis Grizzlies are another team to watch, with Ja Morant constantly appearing on the injury report. While they’re not tanking like Utah and Portland, Morant’s frequent injuries are concerning for fantasy managers.
In other news, Donte DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain for the Knicks, which could lead to increased minutes for Mike Conley. However, I wouldn’t rush to add Conley in most leagues.
