Report: Kristaps Porziņģis, Wizards Discuss New Contract; Kyle Kuzma Eyes New Deal

The Washington Wizards are looking to retain both Kristaps Porziņģis and Kyle Kuzma, who can opt out of their contracts this offseason, according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

Regarding Porziņģis, Charania reported he and the Wizards "have been seriously discussing a new deal." Kuzma and the Wizards, meanwhile, have "mutual interest" in a contract that will keep him in the nation's capital.

The Dallas Mavericks dealt Porziņģis ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, a move that symbolized how underwhelming his tenure in North Texas had been. The Mavs thought the 7'3" center could be an ideal complement for Luka Dončić, and that simply wasn't the case.

Porziņģis has subsequently thrived in Washington. Through 82 appearances, he's averaging 22.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, and his shooting is more efficient (49.3 percent overall; 38.2 percent on threes) than ever.

The 2017-18 All-Star is coming off one of his best outings of the year. He dropped 32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as Washington beat the Boston Celtics 130-111 on Tuesday.

Kuzma is likewise boosting the value of his next contract. His 21.2 points per game are a career high to go along with 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Playing for the Wizards has allowed the 27-year-old to occupy a role that was simply unattainable as long as he was playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. His usage rate over the last two seasons is 26.1 percent compared to 22.4 percent during his four-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers, per Basketball Reference.

The organization made a commitment to contend for the foreseeable future when it signed Bradley Beal to a five-year, $251 million supermax extension. The fact that his deal includes a no-trade clause also makes it difficult to pivot toward a rebuild anytime soon.

You can raise questions about the Wizards' ceiling when they're likely to miss the playoffs for the second straight year and post a losing record for the fifth season in a row.

But it doesn't come as a surprise that Washington will make every attempt to re-sign two of its best contributors.