With trading season finally underway, the Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of players to consider. They may not necessarily look for the best player available, but instead, for the best fit.
With KJ Martin’s contract and a few first-round draft picks to offer, they can acquire a legitimate starter. One possible option is Washington Wizards wing Kyle Kuzma.
Marc Stein reported on The Stein Line that the Wizards are looking to trade Kuzma, who appears to be ready for a new situation.
“The rising belief leaguewide is that the Wizards are eager to find a trade partner for Kuzma at some point during the next six-plus weeks … and that Kuzma would want to depart this time with the 4-22 Wizards scarcely even trying to be competitive heading into the loaded 2025 NBA Draft,” Stein wrote.
That adds up after the Wizards’ poor start, which many anticipated would happen beforehand. Trading for Kuzma is doable, even if it would require plenty of matching salary, as he’s owed $23.5 million this season.
A deal between the Sixers and Wizards would likely take Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, and Adem Bona if the Sixers want to match salaries without compromising their wing depth.
Kuzma would bring championship experience to the Sixers
Kuzma is at the peak of his career and has experience playing for a winner. He was vital to the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers title team. There are better shooters that the Sixers could target, but Kuzma can fill more holes even if he doesn’t provide the best floor-spacing as a player.
The Sixers may not be in desperate need of another scorer since they already have plenty. Still, Kuzma not only provides more scoring gravity but he has also proven himself as a good defender that can play within the offense on good teams in the past.
There aren’t many players on the trade market worth surrendering a first-round pick for, but Kuzma certainly is.
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