Washington Wizards Receive: F Domantas Sabonis, G/F Jeremy Lamb
Indiana Pacers Receive: F Deni Avdija, F Kyle Kuzma, G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, WAS 2025 1st Round Pick, WAS 2027 1st Round Pick
To have a real shot at landing Domantas Sabonis, the Washington Wizards are going to have to be willing to leverage some of their best young talents. Not only does this mean that someone like Rui Hachimura will have to be on the table in trade discussions, but Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija as well.
Maybe the Wizards are unwilling to include Kuzma in trade offers right now given how well he has played of late, but he has played surprisingly well since being traded from the Lakers.
So far this season, Kyle Kuzma is averaging 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and is shooting 44.3% from the floor, 32.4% from three-point range. This is kind of the same Kyle Kuzma we saw in L.A. before the arrival of Anthony Davis, but since Davis went to the Lakers, Kuzma’s overall production dropped tremendously.
If the Pacers are to trade their best, All-Star forward, they will need a young replacement in return and Kyle Kuzma could certainly be a key talent in Indiana for the Pacers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Domantas Sabonis Mentioned As Elite Trade Target For Hawks
As for Deni Avdija, he would be another young forward that the Pacers could utilize in many different ways. He is still a very raw prospect and it is going to take time for him to become a complete player at the NBA-level, but both he and Kuzma present a bright future for a franchise that does not currently have a ton of future assets.
In Washington, Avdija, Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope are all key talents on this roster, but neither of the three really make a big difference in them being able to make a real playoff run. Maybe Kuzma holds more weight than the other two in this department, but even he is not going to be the difference in the Wizards’ potential success this season.
Domantas Sabonis on the other hand presents a real means to change for Washington and instantly makes them a threat because of what he and Beal could do on offense together.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Domantas Sabonis Mentioned As Elite Trade Target For Hawks
Bradley Beal is one of the better isolation scorers in the entire NBA and with one of the best low-post finishers and rebounders by his side, the Wizards could suddenly become a team on the verge of breaking through in the Eastern Conference.
Does this move though really make the Washington Wizards that much better of a team than they currently are in the East?
