Leading up to last Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the Washington Wizards were on the verge of trading Kyle Kuzma to the Dallas Mavericks.
Despite Kuzma lacking the ability to veto a trade, Michael Winger, the head of Washington’s front office, still engaged with him by presenting the trade proposal.
“There was a point in time, Dallas, they definitely did want me,” Kuzma told The Athletic on Monday, before the Wizards played the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
“(Michael) 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.”
Subsequently, Winger emphasized that Kyle Kuzma is a crucial and integral part of the Wizards’ ongoing building process.
“Kyle’s an important player for us and (a) significant contributor to our developing culture,” Winger told The Athletic on Monday.
Kyle Kuzma On Staying With Wizards: I Wanted To Stay And To Build Something https://t.co/dk2tafxYZs
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 13, 2024
