Kyle Kuzma had an opportunity to be traded to Dallas at last season’s deadline, but he opted to remain with the Wizards, even though they were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and are probably several years away from contending. Although the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals, Kuzma said in an interview with Josh Robbins of The Athletic that he doesn’t have any regrets about his decision.
“Absolutely not,” Kuzma responded. “A big part of the Mavericks becoming who they were was getting an extra center and a forward. If I would’ve went there, that wouldn’t have happened, getting two impact players. And when you look at who won the championship, it wasn’t a team with (just) three or four players; it was a team with six or seven really good players.”
Trade rumors continue to swirl around Kuzma, who is the most accomplished player on a very young team. At age 29 and with a declining contract over the next three seasons ($23.5MM, $21.5MM and $19.4MM), Kuzma will have plenty of trade value if Washington decides to move him. But he’s also happy staying where he is and being a team leader.
“We’re laying a foundation of how we want to play, how we want to be perceived on the court, what kind of team you’re going to get when you play the Wizards,” he added. “I see that vision. I’m optimistic of that trajectory, regardless of whatever our record is.”
There’s more on the Wizards:
- Malcolm Brogdon injured his shooting hand during Saturday’s practice, coach Brian Keefe said (Twitter link from Robbins). Brogdon will return to Washington for medical imaging to determine how serious the injury is.
- With Tyus Jones lost in free agency, Jordan Poole will take over as the Wizards’ primary ball-handler, according to Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network. Keefe told reporters that Poole has been embracing his new role at training camp. “He’s been great,” Keefe said. “Pushing the ball, playing with pace, sharing it, touching the paint, creating for others. Exactly the stuff we want him doing.”
- After growing up near Montreal, rookie Kyshawn George is thrilled to be making his preseason debut tonight in the city, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. George played collegiately at Miami (Florida), so it’s been a while since much of his family has been able to watch him in person.