New three-team blockbuster trade proposal sends Kuzma to Kings, Hawks expand

Even though the offseason has slowed down, several big names could still be traded before the season starts. One of them is Kyle Kuzma.

The Wizards forward could fit in with almost any contender looking to upgrade their wing positions. His upside is somewhat limited, but it’s easy to see why he’s garnering interest across the league. I wrote about his potential fit with the Hawks in a previous article and my thoughts on him haven’t changed.

“Kuzma is more well-known, as he was a rotation player during the Lakers’ run to the championship in 2020. His defensive effort isn’t quite where it was in 2020, but he’s taken on more of a scoring role for Washington. He averaged 22 points last year on atrue shooting percentage of 54.7% while distributing 3.8 assists and grabbing 7 rebounds per game.

“The only problem is that Kuzma is a bit of a ball stopper – he held onto the ball for3.32 seconds per touch last season. For comparison, Julius Randle and Tobias Harris (both of whom have reputations as good run-stoppers) held the ball for 3.15 and 3.2 seconds, respectively. In a reduced role, though, I wouldn’t expect that to be a big problem.

Recent reports indicate that the Sacramento Kings are interested in adding Kuzma to their roster after acquiring Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan in a trade. ESPN’s James Ham, who covers the Kings, had this to say about their interest in Kuzma and Lauri Markkanen.

“From what I understand, the Kings are very interested in Markkanen and Kuzma. They don’t feel like they’re done. They feel like there’s a trade that puts them in a really strong position, not just a top-four or top-five playoff team, but a team that can really compete.”

If the Kings are interested in acquiring Kuzma, could a three-team deal be intriguing for Atlanta? I think this could be a great opportunity for the Hawks to free up some long-term cap space and add to their rotation.

Atlanta appears to be entering a period of inactivity after opening the offseason with a big trade. They traded Murray to New Orleans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, EJ Liddell, Cody Zeller and two first-round picks, one of which was the Lakers’ 2025 unprotected pick. The Hawks are known to want to get under the tax and move De’Andre Hunter and/or Clint Capela, but rumors of those two players have been quiet lately. Atlanta could dodge the tax and move Hunter in a three-team deal.

It should be noted that this is just speculation and a fun exercise to see what kinds of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should or will do. That’s all.

Here is the trade:

Atlanta receives: Corey Kispert, Trey Lyles, Johnny Davis, a 2025 2nd round pick (via GSW, via Washington) and a 2025 2nd round pick (via Phoenix, via Washington)

Washington receives: DeAndre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, 2027 1st round pick (via Sacramento, top 7 protected)

Sacramento receives: Bruno Fernando, Kyle Kuzma, 2025 2nd round pick (via Minnesota, top 12 protected), 2026 2nd round pick (via Memphis), 2028 2nd round pick (via Houston)

Atlanta made this deal to get rid of Hunter’s contract and get his replacement in Kispert. I also wrote about Kispert’s play in a previous article:

“Kispert is more of a bench scorer, but still on average a career-high 13.4 points, 2.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds. The attractive elements of his profile are his 38.3% three-point shooting percentage on an impressive six attempts per game and 90th percentile as a finisher around the basket.

In a tough season for the Wizards, Kispert has emerged as the team’s three-point shooting specialist. The problem is that his auxiliary skills are underdeveloped. He’s not a good rebounder, struggles on defense, and needs to work on his game. However, his offensive fit is very fluid with someone like Trae Young. Atlanta doesn’t necessarily need him as a point guard since both Young and Johnson can handle those responsibilities. In a reduced environment where he’s forced to work on his defense and rebounding to stay on the court, I think it’s likely he can become neutral in both areas.

Adding Trey Lyles to this deal is a nice addition to Atlanta’s roster. While he followed up a breakout 2022-23 season with an inconsistent 2023-24 campaign, the 6’1″ forward is a solid floor spacer who can keep up with wings and centers on defense. He’s hitting 38.4 percent of his three-pointers on 4 attempts per game and has a 7.7 net rating, indicating his positive contributions on defense. Between Lyles and Kispert, the Hawks can likely recreate Hunter’s game overall for $11 million less. Johnny Davis likely won’t bring much to the Hawks in the regular season, but could spend some time with the College Park team to hone his skills.

Washington is a rebuilding team that can afford to take on Hunter’s contract. Hunter’s perimeter defense fits well with young forward Bilal Couliably, who showed immense defensive potential in his rookie season. Additionally, the Wizards would need three-point shooting by sending Kispert and Kuzma. While he’s not a perfect wing, Hunter’s three-point defense skills would have a huge impact on Washington’s young team.

Sacramento gets Kuzma and a big backup in Bruno Fernando. As a big backup, Fernando fits the scheme since he played some of his best games in Quin Snyder’s direct transfer scheme. Sacramento’s offense relies heavily on DHOs, so he should be able to fill an offensive role in the limited time he gets. He’s a bit small as a center and struggles as a defender, but the Kings would take very little risk to see if he can become a neutral defender.

Atlanta gets long-term flexibility under the salary cap because Kispert and Lyles are both on expiring contracts. They could walk away from the deal if they aren’t convinced Kispert will become more than just a shooter or that Lyles will return to his 2022-23 form. Washington gets a possible long-term answer at wing opposite Coulibaly. They might be concerned about losing so much shooting in a single offseason, but they gained a first-round pick in the deal and will be sinking regardless. Sacramento can reduce Kuzma to a more effective sixth-man role or play him as a starter in bigger lineups. They lose one of their best defenders in Lyles, which could make them balk at this deal.