Impending trade deadlines in any sport force hard decisions, and that’s no less the case for the Washington Wizards and their star forward Kyle Kuzma as the NBA’s trade deadline of Feb. 9 creeps closer.
So, to set the stage, here’s where things stand as the new year begins and sports betting Virginia heads into 2023.
The Wizards, having suffered through a 10-game losing streak in December, are starting to turn things around and entered Tuesday on a five-game winning streak. Washington is still on the fringe of making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, clinging to 10th place, the last play-in spot.
Kyle Kuzma’s Form in the 2022-23 Season
Kuzma, in his second season with Washington and sixth overall in the NBA, has been a stalwart.
This season, he’s averaging a career-high 21.4 points a game to go along with averages of 3.8 assists and 7.6 rebounds a game while playing about 35 minutes per game.
However, he can also become a free agent in the offseason and the Wizards are still below .500, something bettors on VA sportsbook apps have probably noticed. Washington is 17-21, again 10th in the East, going into Tuesday night’s game at Milwaukee.
Washington could try to lock him up with a long-term contract. But if the Wizards fail to do so, they could wave goodbye to the 27-year-old, six-year veteran with nary a thing to show for it other than fond memories.
That might be a worst-case scenario for long-suffering Wizards fans who are already among the least rewarded NBA fan bases.
So, if the Wizards try to get something in return for Kuzma, where are his likely spots?
BetVirginia.com analyzed the biggest needs and persistent rumors swirling across the NBA to develop hypothetical odds of the most likely trade candidates for Kyle Kuzma. These odds will not be found at VA sportsbooks.
Hypothetical Odds of Kyle Kuzma’s Team After Trade Deadline
Most Likely Scenario For Kyle Kuzma
As is sometimes the case, the most likely scenario that BetVirginia envisions is inertia, meaning that Kuzma stays with the Wizards (47.6%, or betting odds of +110). The Wizards are currently +40000 with CaesarsSportsbook Virginia to win the NBA championship.
The most likely other-team, according to BetVirginia’s crystal ball, is Phoenix, a middle-tier contender in the Western Conference. Washington beat the Suns twice in eight days in late December. In the most recent of those two games, a 127-102 home win on Dec. 28, Kuzma had 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists. In Phoenix, in a 113-110 Washington win, Kuzma had 29 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Other candidate teams on BetVirginia’s radar (in likely order) are: The Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks.
The Lakers would be an interesting landing spot for Kuzma.
Kuzma played the first four seasons of his career with the Lakers and won an NBA title along the way. However, during three of the four seasons Kuzma spent with the Lakers, he played in the shadow of LeBron James, who is still with Los Angeles.
Whatever the case, for NBA betting or other sports, check for the best Virginia sportsbook promos right here at BetVirginia.com.
