Mavs Inquire About Trade for Wizards' Kyle Kuzma; Full Details
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks seek to upgrade at power forward ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Among the various names they've been linked to is Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards, who has emerged as a trade candidate to monitor for teams around the league.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavs are among various teams to have inquired with the Wizards about a possible trade ahead of the midseason deadline. Washington's asking price will be two first-round selections.
"The Mavericks, league sources say, are among the teams that have inquired with Washington about its willingness to part with forward Kyle Kuzma," Stein said.
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Kuzma has averaged 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 41 games this season. He's playing in the first season of a four-year, $90 million contract that features descending annual values, including a $19.4 million final-year salary in 2026-17.
When evaluating trade targets, Mavs minority owner Mark Cuban recently described the team's top target as a big wing capable of creating off the dribble — ideally, one 6-foot-8 or taller.
“If we can get a big who can also create off the dribble, that’d be a plus — 6-foot-8 or bigger,” Cuban said on The Freak-FM 97.1's Ben and Skin Show.
The Wizards aspire to acquire as many first-round picks as possible before the deadline. Washington has held high asking prices for players Dallas has inquired about in previous talks, including Daniel Gafford and Deni Avdija.
"The Mavericks also know that the Wizards’ determination to acquire as many future firsts as possible is not going away; sources say Washington established considerable asking prices months ago when Dallas made past inquiries on the in-demand Gafford as well as Deni Avdija," Stein wrote.
The main obstacle the Mavs encounter when trying to trade for a team seeking to maximize draft capital when discussing deals is the only outright trade-eligible first-round pick they can move in a midseason deal is their 2027 selection. What type of deal they can reach remains to be seen.
