The Washington Wizards forward was effectively allowed to exercise a no-trade clause, which he doesn’t have by the way.
Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma was linked to a possible trade to the Dallas Mavericks. But no one knew the exact circumstances of it until today.
According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Kuzma said in postgame media after Washington’s game against Dallas that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger approached him about the possibility of a trade. Here is what Kuzma said in detail:
There was a point in time, Dallas, they definitely did want me. 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.
In short, Winger told Kuzma that there was a trade offer involving him and let him decline it, which Kuzma did. Winger’s candor with Kuzma is something that the Wizards star values, which Robbins also mentioned in his piece.
Washington still made a trade with Dallas, namely the Daniel Gafford trade last Thursday.
I found it interesting that Kuzma effectively had a no-trade clause with the Wizards, though he doesn’t actually have one. I imagine this is how many trades are done in the NBA, especially with cornerstones like Kuma is to the Wizards, though many are obviously done behind the player’s back.
What are your thoughts on the circumstances of this trade-that-could’ve-happened? Let us know in the comments below.