Inside The Wizards

Could Mavericks Trade For Wizards' Kyle Kuzma?

The Dallas Mavericks could have interest in Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma.

Jeremy Brener

Feb 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) is fouled by Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green (8) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Feb 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) is fouled by Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green (8) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks made a massive trade before last year's deadline that helped the latter reach the NBA Finals.

The deal sent center Daniel Gafford from the Wizards to the Mavs in exchange for Richaun Holmes and future draft considerations. Now, the Wizards and Mavs could make another move with Kyle Kuzma as the centerpiece.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Mavs have had interest in acquiring Kuzma in the past.

"At the 2024 trade deadline last February, Washington asked Kyle Kuzma if he wanted the Wizards to go through with a trade they were nearing with the Dallas Mavericks. Kuzma told his front office that he preferred to stay in the nation's capital," Stein writes.

This year may be different, but the Mavs make sense as a landing spot for Kuzma because of his familiarity with coach Jason Kidd, who was on Frank Vogel's stafff when the Los Angeles Lakers won a championship with the now-Wizards forward.

However, sources have told Stein that a deal between the Wizards and Mavs for Kuzma isn't as likely to happen this year.

"There were some rival teams at Showcase wondering aloud whether the Mavericks, who are known to be exploring their options for potential frontcourt upgrades, might make another trade run at Kuzma this winter. But such a scenario was strongly dismissed to me," Stein writes.

Kuzma is averaging 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game so far this season for the Wizards, but he has only played in 12 games after a number of injuries have sidelined him. He has been off the court since Nov. 27 with bruised ribs.

The Wizards have until Feb. 6 to decide if they want to keep Kuzma around or trade him to another team in the league.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/Washington Wizards News