The 5 biggest questions facing the Wizards entering the offseason

5 questions facing the Wizards this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Wizards closed out the 2022-23 regular season with a disappointing 35-47 record. They will aim to make significant improvements this summer in hopes of better results moving forward.

Here are the five biggest questions they will face in the months ahead...

Will Kuzma re-sign?

This summer will be a consequential one for the Wizards one way or another purely because Kyle Kuzma, one of their best players, is set to hit free agency. Kuzma, 27, is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract ($13 million) to seek a new deal. That new deal could be with the Wizards or another team, as he's sure to have plenty of suitors around the league.

Kuzma has positioned himself well for a lucrative long-term contract. He's coming off a career year in which he averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. The Wizards have made it clear they intend to bring him back, but it won't be cheap. Kuzma is likely to earn north of $100 million on his next contract. Kuzma says the Wizards have a good chance to re-sign him, and they have a strong track record in these scenarios, but we won't know for sure until the free agency negotiating window opens on June 30.

Will Porzingis opt out?

The Wizards could have not one but two massive contracts to negotiate this offseason if Kristaps Porzingis decides to opt out of the final year of his deal. He's due to make $36 million next season, but is also coming off a career year having averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. He also shot a career-best 49.8% from the field plus 38.5% from three and, perhaps more important than anything, he stayed healthy to a degree he hadn't been able to in years. His 65 games played are his most since his second NBA season, in 2016-17.

It is that reason more than anything why agents and executives around the league expect him to opt out. Even if he has to come in on a lower number annually, he can get more security with extra years when there is no guarantee he will stay healthy in another contract year, given his history. Wizards president Tommy Sheppard indicated at the trade deadline he wouldn't be surprised if Porzingis did opt out and if that's the case he will be a major priority to re-sign. Given how well he played this season, it's not hard to see why.

Will Avdija get an extension?

The Wizards could be very busy this offseason with negotiating contracts because, in addition to Kuzma and Porzingis, Deni Avdija is also eligible for an extension as he enters the final season of his four-year rookie scale contract. Avdija, 22, will have a chance to sign a new deal before the deadline in mid-October. He is coming off a third NBA season in which he averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists, all career highs.

The Wizards' history in these situations may shed some light on the odds Avdija will sign an extension. Basically, they don't often get their extensions with first-round picks done at this time. Rui Hachimura was the most recent case, though he's an extreme one because he was traded not long after. But the Wizards also saw Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. play out the final years of their rookie contracts before re-signing them. That's important to note, that even if Avdija doesn't get a new deal, it by no means guarantees he's leaving. It's just very possible it gets pushed to the following offseason.

Will they get any lottery luck?

The one positive to the Wizards falling short of the playoffs this year is they get to keep their first-round draft pick and it's set to be a good one with the potential to be very good, depending on how things shake out in the lottery. Washington finished the regular season tied with the Pacers for the seventh-best lottery odds. The tie between them will be broken later this month and then the lottery will take place on May 16.

Obviously, it would be great for the Wizards if they moved up. They haven't done that since 2013 when they moved from eighth to third and selected Porter Jr. But even if the Wizards don't move up, history shows there will be a future star on the board. They just have to make the right pick.

Which position do they upgrade?

If the Wizards do indeed run it back with Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis, then they will have to try to make improvements at other positions. Those three will be locked into the starting lineup, leaving the point guard and forward spots as the logical areas to target. When it comes to forward, that could either be a wing or a big, depending on where they want to slot Kuzma and Porzingis next year, as for much of this season they have played the three and four with Daniel Gafford starting at the five.

When it comes to both point guard and the wing position, the Wizards may be able to some help via the draft. At point guard, Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite) is one of the top prospects, but guys like Anthony Black of Arkansas and Cason Wallace of Kentucky could also help because of their defense. There are also a ton of wings set to go throughout the lottery including Amen and Ausar Thompson of Overtime Elite and Cam Whitmore of Villanova.