Kyle Kuzma On Staying With Wizards: I Wanted To Stay And To Build Something

Ahead of last Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, there was a point with the Washington Wizards were close to trading Kyle Kuzma to the Dallas Mavericks. Even though Kuzma doesn’t have the ability to block a trade, Washington’s front office leader Michael Winger presented him with the trade idea anyway.

“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.”

Winger later said that Kuzma is an important part of what the Wizards are building.

“Kyle’s an important player for us and (a) significant contributor to our developing culture,” Winger told The Athletic on Monday.