Sam Hodde/Getty Images
Kyle Kuzma could have been traded to the contending Dallas Mavericks at the NBA’s trade deadline, but in a rather surprising decision, he opted to remain with the struggling Washington Wizards.
Speaking with NBA insider Marc Stein, Kuzma said he declined a trade to the Mavericks because he felt like it wasn’t the right time for him to move on from Washington:
“I just felt like, you know, we’re all on such different timelines in our lives. Although I have good relationships in [the Dallas] organization, this wasn’t probably the right time for me in my career — especially just trying to build something here. That’s something I don’t shy away from. So I think that was the biggest factor. Also there’s not too many contending teams and going to the right situation is always the most important thing in the NBA.”
While Kuzma doesn’t have the ability to block a trade, Wizards president Michael Winger presented him with an offer that would have sent him to Dallas. Kuzma told Winger he wanted to remain in Washington.
“There was a point in time, Dallas, they definitely did want me,” Kuzma told The Athletic’s Josh Robbins on Monday. “Winger presented me with what the trade was and obviously didn’t want to trade me and kind of left the decision up to me a little bit and asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to stay and continue to build something. And that was kind of the end of it.”
Kuzma declining a move to the Mavericks, who are in the thick of the playoff race, had many fans questioning why he would want to remain with the Wizards, who are 9-44 and are on pace to miss the playoffs for the third straight season.
The 28-year-old provided a little more insight into his thought process while speaking with Robbins:
“In my career, I won a championship. So, I understand that when we play this game of basketball it’s not about contending for a playoff spot. It’s about contending for an NBA championship. There’s only like three or four contenders — true contenders. I just felt like our timelines didn’t line up.”
Kuzma won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and was traded to the Wizards in August 2021 as part of the Russell Westbrook deal. He agreed to a four-year, $102 million extension with Washington ahead of the 2023-24 season.
With Kuzma saying he wants to continue to “build something” in Washington, it’s worth wondering what the franchise is building.
The Wizards have the second-worst record in the NBA and while they have talented young players like Bilal Coulibaly, Jordan Poole and Corey Kispert, Washington isn’t on pace to match some of the NBA’s younger franchises in the Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder.
At this point, it’s unclear what direction the franchise is headed in, but Kuzma is obviously comfortable with where he’s at despite the team’s shortcomings.
