Every week, we round up the latest NBA Buzz at FortyEightMinutes.com. This week’s edition includes how the Wizards’ and Suns‘ trade deadline plans are becoming clearer and how the most talked about NBA team is providing a daily off-the-court show.
Kyle Kuzma Update
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is the latest media member to state that the Wizards’ new front office is in no rush to trade Kuzma.
“If you want to register an offer for Kuzma, fine, you can do it,” Woj said on his podcast (h/t to RealGM). But they’re not at the point now where it seems like they’re really active in seriously trying to move him. It could change by the deadline, but I know (Wizards executives) Michael Winger and Will Dawkins like Kuzma, like having him there. I think they’ll be particular about what they might do.”
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson indicated how much the organization values Kuzma while also relaying that the Mavericks have interest in Kuzma, highlighting the forward’s relationship with Dallas coach Jason Kidd (via a recent appearance on 106.7 FM The Fan). Kidd previously coached Kuzma when the two were a part of the Lakers’ championship run in 2020. Marc Stein shared similar sentiments via his substack and also relayed that the Kings still have interest in the 28-year-old forward.
In our 2024 Wizards Trade Deadline preview, Kuzma was one of only two Wizards in our Wait-and-See category as veteran players who were brought in by the previous regime but still had a chance to be part of the team’s future core as the franchise shuffles through its “reshaping” stage.
…having some sort of continuity on the court from season to season is valuable for the Wizards beyond giving season-ticket holders, fans, and tourists in The District an idea of who they’ll paying to see play basketball when they buy tickets for games at the Capital One Arena.
If Washington’s front office embraces a roster-building strategy that balances a young, higher-than-your-typical-Wizards-team ceiling with one that can be more competitive next season while maintaining some familiar faces on the roster, both Kispert and Kuzma can be a part of it.
Latest on the Suns
Everyone appears to be on the same page about the Suns’ position on Grayson Allen with Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reporting that the team isn’t considering the possibility of trading Allen ahead of the deadline.
As we relayed in last week’s NBA Buzz, there were conflicting reports on Allen with Yahoo Sports indicating that the Suns were exploring the market to see what Allen and Nassir Little could garner in a trade. Longtime Phoenix radio host John Gambadoro had tweeted that he doesn’t expect Allen to go anywhere and that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Suns explore ways to keep Allen past his free agency this summer.
As for Little’s future…there still haven’t been any substantial reports denying that the team is exploring what the forward could net in a trade.
We examined what a Little-to-the-Hawks trade would look like with Patty Mills arriving in Phoenix.
He’ll be 36 this offseason though he did play alongside Kevin Durant during their time together in Brooklyn, so his familiarity there might make it worth exploring whether he has anything left in the tank for a critical Suns’ run over the next few months.
The former Spur is on a $6.8 million expiring contract, so while Mills for Little may be a small-time trade, it would have long-term implications, such as freeing up future cap space for the Suns to make other moves, including a potential new contract for Allen.
Days of our (Lakers News) Lives
On Monday, it was reported that the Lakers and Hawks had the framework of a deal in place to send Dejounte Murray to Los Angeles for a package that included the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. The deal was reportedly contingent on finding a third team for D’Angelo Russell.
On Tuesday, Dave McMenamin relayed that a Murray trade “remains in the conversation,” though the franchise was also internally discussing waiting until the offseason to make a major move when it could package three first-rounders for an All-Star, such as Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young. The ESPN scribe also mentioned that Los Angeles had Collin Sexton, Tyus Jones, and Bruce Brown Jr. (who was recently traded to the Raptors in the Pascal Siakam trade) on their radar.
On Wednesday, Shams Charania explained that Murray and Brown were at the top of the Lakers’ list, and Woj indicated on his podcast that “there’s nothing there yet” concerning a Murray trade.
Who will Los Angeles trade for? How will they fit in with LeBron James‘ squad? Can any addition help the Lakers recapture the magic they had when they successfully played seven good games during their journey to becoming In-Season Tournament champions?
The Lakers have been the most talked about team ahead of the trade deadline and surely, some sort of trade will happen before February 8. Stay tuned to FortyEightMinutes as the stories unfold.
