Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma Says Dallas Mavs ‘One Player Away’; Trade Match?

The Dallas Mavericks are “one player away” from title contention according to Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma, and perhaps he could be that player via trade this season.

NBA trade rumors will inevitably start to heat up this month as teams have had 20 games to assess their roster needs. For the Dallas Mavericks, their two biggest needs are glaring: upgrades big-man depth and more size on the wing.

On Tuesday, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma held a Q&A on X, formerly known as Twitter, and was asked for his thoughts on the Mavs this year.

“[One] player away,” Kuzma replied. “[Dereck] Lively will be good too.”

It just so happens that Kuzma, who is a versatile 6-9 forward and can play at the three or the four spot, could be that “player away” for the Mavs before it’s said and done. After all, Dallas was reportedly one of the teams with interest in signing Kuzma over the summer before he ultimately inked a four-year, $102 million contract to stay with the Wizards.

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Although the Wizards are one of the worst teams in the league with a 3-16 record, it has yet to be seen if the Washington front office will be willing to move on from one of its more talented players less than a year into his new deal.

Through 19 games, Kuzma is averaging 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from deep. And although the Wizards are a bad defensive team, Kuzma is a solid defender individually due to his size and quick feet. He’d be a seamless fit alongside Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Grant Williams (or Derrick Jones Jr. given Williams’ recent struggles) and Dereck Lively II in Dallas’ starting five.

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There are a number of different salary-matching packages the Mavs could offer the Wizards for Kuzma, but the one we like best also lands Dallas some upgraded center depth as well. Here’s what we’re thinking:

Mavs receive: Kyle Kuzma, Daniel Gafford. Wizards receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Richaun Holmes, Jaden Hardy and a 2027 first-round pick.

Such a trade wouldn’t be able to happen until Jan. 15 due to when Kuzma signed his new contract. Also, there’s obviously several other combinations that could be used to make it work financially if the pieces above don’t interest the Wizards, but if the Mavs had interest in Kuzma over the summer, there’s a good chance they still have interest in him now.

Kuzma believes the Mavs are one player away from crossing the contender threshold, and one has to wonder if he could see himself being that player, especially since he’s spending the prime of his career on the sinking ship that is the Wizards.