Grade the Trade: The 76ers get Top-Notch and land Kyle Kuzma in this Deal
The Philadelphia 76ers enter Friday night with an excellent 13-7 win-loss record, good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Despite being two games behind the Celtics for the conference lead, the squad has been a solid machine to begin the season, despite the injury bug biting them in spurts.
However, being spectacular may not be enough this time. The Eastern Conference is now even stronger, with star-studded competitors and newcomers already showing up. To maintain their advantage, the 76ers must enhance their roster moving ahead, which is becoming more urgent given the team’s troubles with keeping healthy.
Expect the Philadelphia 76ers to make more waves in the trade market this season
Trading for a third star has been the most common prognostication so far about Philadelphia’s front office in the aftermath of the Harden trade. After all, after netting significant assets in return for the disgruntled star, the path has become so much smoother for the franchise to find that third fiddle next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
So far, the 76ers role players have been filling in that void — if that is even one — by committee admirably. But again, given the current milieu regarding the talent level and parity in the league, it’s understandable if the front office rules that staying put just won’t cut it this time.
With the trade season set to begin soon, the 76ers are among those routinely linked to various trade candidates. Here is another trade proposal floating around that has the team landing a high-profile player in Kyle Kuzma.
76ers trade for Kyle Kuzma in this bargain proposal
In this trade pitch from Bleacher Report, the Philadelphia 76ers acquire forward Kyle Kuzma from the Washington Wizards for veteran Marcus Morris Sr., wing Furkan Korkmaz, forward Danuel House Jr., and their own first-round pick in 2026 without any protections.
Kuzma is stuck on a Wizards roster hellbent on being mediocre, but he’s inarguably been their best player this season, tallying 23.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. The 2020 NBA Champion has been a steady presence since setting foot in Washington, and for that reason, he was rewarded with a lucrative four-year, $90 million contract last offseason.
On the flip side, the 76ers have found minimal use for Morris Sr., who has been nothing more than a situational player for Philly. Crank that up for Korkmaz and House Jr., who are even more buried in the depth chart without any clear way toward snagging more court time from Nick Nurse.
Should the 76ers consider this trade proposal as a viable framework for a potential deal? Let’s take a hard look at the upsides and downsides of this pitch.
Why Kyle Kuzma is a perfect fit for the 76ers
For the most part, Tobias Harris has been an efficient machine for the 76ers, capably and smoothly operating as the team’s de facto third option on offense. However, the biggest knack on him not only in this campaign, but including the previous ones, has been his inability to carry the torch and hold down the fort when the team needs him to, either due to injury or as the linchpin of secondary lineups.
The prospect of Kuzma faring better than Harris in this regard exudes anecdotal and number-backed credence. Sure, the flashy, lanky forward with the quite the quaint coiffure may be more likely to make headlines due to his social media knavery, but one cannot deny his all-around impact as a sheer basketball player.
Since leaving the Lakers, Kuzma has regained his mojo as a microwave three-level scorer from his early years. His increased usage has put a bit of a damper in his efficiency, but this season has been a different story so far —- through 20 games, the 6’9 tweener has drained 47.3 percent of his field goal attempts on high volume, easily the best mark of his career.
Of course, as Harris has still been mor efficient, Kuzma’s career year shooting the ball cannot be the lone pendulum swinger. Fortunately, it’s not. Kuzma has turned into an effective connector on offense, logging 4.8 assists per outing while turning the ball over just 2.4 times a game, a relatively low number given his usage and the Wizards’ extemporaneous attack.
Kuzma’s defense is definitely not messianic, but he does a great job at making full use of his length as a rebounder and help defender. His awareness on that end can be suspect, but he is at least mobile and rangy, giving him more margin of error as he tries to become better as a stopper.
Why the 76ers should avoid trading for Kyle Kuzma
Not to discredit him, but Kyle Kuzma’s impressive play as a member of the Washington Wizards has largely been effect of the Wizards giving him the carte blance to the same degree as a superstar’s. Put simply, his numbers are inflated, and his struggles fitting in with the Lakers when LeBron James and Anthony Davis does not inspire confidence when the 76ers already have a similar dynamic in their pecking order.
However, the biggest turn-off about trading for Kuzma is actually not a basketball reason. Philadelphia’s pompous plans in free agency is one of the league’s worst-kep secret, and Kuzma’s contract is simply an impediment toward that cause. There’s a reason why the 76ers have only been truly linked to players on expiring deals.
Personally, Kuzma’s contract is perfectly appraised commensurate to his prowess and the league’s increasing cap space, but the 76ers simply cannot afford to shoot themselves in the foot by wasting a rare chance at a legitimate free agency bonanza where they have full control of their destiny.
Alas, the thought of trading for Kuzma as that third star seems like a defeatist idea. In reality, he does not add much compared to what the 76ers already have in store as a collective. Giving up an unprotected first-rounder also signals a long-term commitment to him, which is not ideal cap-wise considering the litany of standouts that will be available via trade or through free agency.
Ultimately, while this trade proposal is a relative bargain at surface level, the Philadelphia 76ers simply cannot afford to make a marginal upgrade with Kyle Kuzma while greatly affecting their financial flexibility.
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