The Official Kyle Kuzma Thread

[leswizards]

https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/washington-wizads-kyle-kuzma-stands-decision-deny-dallas-mavericks-trade-24

Okay, we are just going to have to agree to disagree. Until someone provides a quote directly from either front office actually saying that their was a substantial offer made (ie with 2 first rounders), and Kuzma was allowed to kill the offer, I simply don’t believe it happened. And it seems to me, almost every direct quote on the subject merely comes from Kuzma or his or people.

See the above post, with Marc Stein who has been dialed in with the Mavericks front office since the Dirk years. It looks like the Wizards wanted 2 first round picks and then the talks fizzled. And that Kyle Kuzma was a top target.

I did read it. No quotes from the front office to verify it. No sources provided except Kyle Kuzma. Maybe he had great sources in the Mavericks front office, but he didn’t provide them.

[AFM]

I do think Kuzma wanted to be here. He opened a cafe right next to my apartment this past year (https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/04/18/wizards-star-opens-dc-cafe-with-strawberry-pop-tart-lattes-and-sea-moss-lemonades/ )--maybe it means nothing but kind of a strange business decision to do so if you're being shipped off to Dallas. I actually saw him sitting outside a few days ago filming himself eating.

[Kanyewest]

The Hoop Collective Podcast contradicts Stein's reporting in that the Mavericks actually offered two first rounders! EDIT: Upon further reflection, I only believe 1 first rounder was offered because that would have been insane.

Following up on reports that Kyle Kuzma was nearly traded from the Wizards to the Mavericks last week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that he believes Dallas was offering two first-round picks to Washington in its proposal for the veteran forward.

One of those first-rounders was almost certainly the 2024 pick that Dallas acquired from Oklahoma City, which will likely end up being the more favorable of the Clippers’ and Thunder’s first-rounders. According to Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective, the Mavs and Thunder “very quietly” agreed to the deal involving that pick several days before the trade deadline, even though it wasn’t reported until Thursday.

The second first-rounder the Mavs offered for Kuzma would’ve presumably been their own 2027 pick, which was ultimately sent to Charlotte in the P.J. Washington deal instead, with top-two protection.

Windhorst, MacMahon, and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps agree it’s probably safe to assume the Mavs were looking to include Grant Williams in that potential Kuzma trade, which means the proposal might have been something like Williams, Richaun Holmes, a 2024 first-round pick, and the Mavs’ 2027 first-rounder for Kuzma. It’s unclear whether the ’27 pick would’ve had the same light protection that Dallas agreed to in its deal with Charlotte.

Ultimately, after the Wizards decided not to move forward on the Kuzma trade, Dallas ended up sending one of those first-rounders and Holmes to Washington in exchange for Daniel Gafford, completing separate deals with the Wizards and Hornets rather than just a single trade for Kuzma.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/02/mavs-notes-kuzma-g-williams-washington-gafford-front-office.html

Tim MacMahon is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for ESPN. Tim Bontemps used to be the Washington Post reporter for the Wizards.

[Kanyewest]

2024 post mortem trade deadline talk.

https://youtu.be/ALbald-XIbU?si=Vl12RiupLCsbq_PP&t=1206

Starts at 20:56.

Spoiler:

- Seems like Windhorst is buying the Athletic story.
- All agree that 2 first rounders were offered.
- They say it is rare for a player of Kyle Kuzma's caliber to re-check about a potential trade.
- They talk about the Beal trade (how they didn't even get a single first)
- They poke fun at the Mavs not being contenders while the Wizards are terrible.
- McMahaon think that Kuzma would have been the 3rd option - would have benefited from playing off of Luka but might not have been a good defender.
- Bontemps thinks the Mavs did better by not trading for Kuzma- getting Gafford and Washington
- Bontemps Seems to think they could have gotten more picks by the 2024 picks when teams are more willing to move picks (this makes the Deni for Carrington trade look potentially worse if that was the case).
- Windhorst has also known Winger for 19 years and says it will be determined in a year but states it is unusual situation
- Bontemps says this is a very unusual situation is that it is plainly discussed and gives Wingers kudos for that.

[leswizards]

Allegedly, a Kyle Kuzma for Khris Middleton deal is close to being completed. I will be shocked if it actually happens. I am convinced that it is more bs coming from Kuzma’s pr people.

[gambitx777]

Allegedly, a Kyle Kuzma for Khris Middleton deal is close to being completed. I will be shocked if it actually happens. I am convinced that it is more bs coming from Kuzma’s pr people.

I would agree if
A. Middleton has seen a while not as much but still significant level of decline and hasn't played much this year and hasn't been good when he has played, like Kuz.
B. Kuz fits a need better.
C. Kuz and his contract fixed the bucks cap issues for 3-4 years and over that time will save them hundreds of millions in tax payment over the course of midletons deal and more over the course of Kuz and the year after.

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

[nate33]

The Hoop Collective Podcast contradicts Stein's reporting in that the Mavericks actually offered two first rounders! EDIT: Upon further reflection, I only believe 1 first rounder was offered because that would have been insane.

Following up on reports that Kyle Kuzma was nearly traded from the Wizards to the Mavericks last week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that he believes Dallas was offering two first-round picks to Washington in its proposal for the veteran forward.

One of those first-rounders was almost certainly the 2024 pick that Dallas acquired from Oklahoma City, which will likely end up being the more favorable of the Clippers’ and Thunder’s first-rounders. According to Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective, the Mavs and Thunder “very quietly” agreed to the deal involving that pick several days before the trade deadline, even though it wasn’t reported until Thursday.

The second first-rounder the Mavs offered for Kuzma would’ve presumably been their own 2027 pick, which was ultimately sent to Charlotte in the P.J. Washington deal instead, with top-two protection.

Windhorst, MacMahon, and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps agree it’s probably safe to assume the Mavs were looking to include Grant Williams in that potential Kuzma trade, which means the proposal might have been something like Williams, Richaun Holmes, a 2024 first-round pick, and the Mavs’ 2027 first-rounder for Kuzma. It’s unclear whether the ’27 pick would’ve had the same light protection that Dallas agreed to in its deal with Charlotte.

Ultimately, after the Wizards decided not to move forward on the Kuzma trade, Dallas ended up sending one of those first-rounders and Holmes to Washington in exchange for Daniel Gafford, completing separate deals with the Wizards and Hornets rather than just a single trade for Kuzma.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/02/mavs-notes-kuzma-g-williams-washington-gafford-front-office.html

Tim MacMahon is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for ESPN. Tim Bontemps used to be the Washington Post reporter for the Wizards.

We should have made that trade and then kept Deni in the offseason. If I was running things, our team right now would be:

PG Sheppard/Butler
SG Poole/Kispert
SF Bilal/Kispert
PF Deni/George
C Gafford/Bagley

Assets: DAL 2027 FRP

We would still be pretty tanktastic, but there would be some excitement because any wins would be on the backs of young players instead of waiting for Kuzma to get hot once every 10 games. I figure they'd have about 12 wins now instead of 8. Shop Gafford at the trade deadline for a late FRP.

[AFM]

It sounds unbelievable but maybe those rumors actually were true. Seeing as the Dallas GM might have an IQ in the 60s.

[dorianwrite]

Well, one last Kyle Kuzma double dactyl for the road:


Higgledy-piggledy
Kyle "Trade Bait" Kuzma
Getting passed off for a
Rookie and swap,

a contract to buy-out,
and some future notion
the Wizards' atrociousness
will finally stop.

[Benjammin]

My bad. ESPN centel. But good satire given the subject.

[AFM]

That’s a parody account pretty sure he’s not actually that stupid

[Frichuela]

Kuzma continues with his antics...

So glad he is not with us any more

Read on Twitter

[AFM]

Do you guys think he'll get a tribute video Friday? lol