Wizards’ top 2 trade targets in 2024-25

At 6-33, Washington Wizards they don’t want to make any short-term moves NBA trade deadline. If they withdraw any agreements, it will be to speed up their renewal.

The best way to do this, of course, is to acquire draft capital and/or young players. This means that they will most likely have to give up one of Malcolm Brogdon, Kyle Kuzmaand Jonas Valanciunas.

While all three veterans provide value as mentors to the team’s younger players, dealing with them can be beneficial in more ways than one. Not only could they fetch a good return on the trade market, but their absences would also open up more playing opportunities for less established players.

Who should Washington target as the Feb. 6 deadline approaches?

Draft picks and/or Cam Whitmore

While landing a cheap young player doesn’t hurt, accumulating as much draft capital as possible is the best approach at this point in the rebuild. The Wizards are only in their second season with a new regime, and the roster is far from the playoffs. Landing a few promising players on high-draft rookie contracts is the most cost-effective way to maintain steady progress.

Washington is already in a good position, as it is on pace to win another lottery pick in a draft class led by Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. All three players have the potential to be “The Guy” around which the Wizards build a franchise, although they are not guaranteed to get any of them.

That’s in addition to already developing pieces such as Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Keyshon George. Coulibaly took a step forward in his second season, as he made ESPN’s list of the 25 best NBA players under the age of 25. Meanwhile, Sar has a chance to win Rookie of the Year after winning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors in December.

At this point, it makes the most sense to move Brogdon up one or more draft picks. While Kuzma and Valanciunas are under team control through 2027, Brogdon’s contract expires at the end of this season. The 32-year-old is a good “culture builder” as a seasoned veteran, but will likely sign with a playoff contender in the offseason. It’s best to get back to him while they still can.

Brogdon’s $22.1 million salary makes him tough to move, but there are a few ways to go about it. One valid trading scenario is sending the former Rookie of the Year to the Houston Rockets along with a 2028 first-round pick for 2025 second-rounder Cam Whitmore and Aaron Holiday, via Fanspo’s NBA Trade Machine.

This trade would work well for both parties. Landing Brogdon would help the second-seeded Rockets (27-13) get veteran backcourt depth as they try to make a deep playoff run. The former Milwaukee Buck is averaging 13.8 points on 44.3% shooting with 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists this season, and would immediately become Houston’s best bench guard. He would also likely be interested in re-signing given the quality of the squad.

Meanwhile, Whitmore took a step back in his second season and could use a change of scenery. The 20-year-old is averaging 10 points on 45% shooting with 2.9 rebounds and just 0.6 assists in 15.9 minutes per game, down from last year. A move to the Wizards could not only get him more playing time, but it would also be a homecoming for the Maryland native. Most importantly, Washington would get another talented young player to develop.

In addition, shedding Holliday’s $4.6 million salary would keep Houston under the first rate threshold of $178,132,000. Like “stubborn” first apron teamThe Rockets are not allowed to go over that salary mark this season, per Spotrak. This trade would keep them at $174.4 million.

Finally, acquiring Houston in the second round in 2025 would give the Wizards a pick they can use to select another player at the end of the next draft or use him in another trade. While the Rockets aren’t desperate for more draft capital, Washington’s acquisition of a 2028 first-rounder evens out the deal considering they’ll also be giving up two picks. However, the Wizards should be a playoff contender by ’28, so he’s unlikely to be a premium pick.

Washington could make a similar move or simply miss the deadline. An important aspect of any potential deal they enter into is obtaining long-term benefits. The Wizards have the wherewithal to execute a methodical rebuild in the coming years, but it’s imperative to maintain discipline and not lose sight of the goal as the losses pile up in the meantime.

The worst thing a rebuilding team can do is deviate from the plan and make short-sighted moves before the process is complete. The good news, however, is that Washington general manager Will Dawkins and team president Michael Winger have kept their eyes on the ball so far.