Getty Kyle Kuzma guards Zach LaVine
The Dallas Mavericks are interested in a 27-year-old $34 million star.
According to Matt Moore of the Action Network, the Mavericks will pursue Kyle Kuzma this offseason. The small forward declined his 2034-24 player option with the Washington Wizards, so he becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30.
Kuzma has made over $34 million in his NBA career.
“With the Wizards pivoting toward a rebuild after trading Bradley Beal, there’s a strong possibility (though not definite) that Kyle Kuzma finds a new home in free agency,” Moore wrote. “Belief among league sources is that Kuzma is looking for $30 million per season in talks. Kuzma has evolved into a 20-points-per-game scorer on moderate efficiency, rebounds well, has shown some playmaking ability and is a quality defender. At 28, he’s in his absolute prime.
“The Jazz and Mavericks are among the teams known to have interest in Kuzma, with the Jazz said to be one of the few teams willing to put up big money in various talks early on. Given the way teams struggled against the Nuggets‘ size in the playoffs, the 6-foot-9 combo forward should be one of the more attractive names on the market, especially for Western Conference playoff teams.”
Kuzma averaged 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Wizards in 2022-23 while shooting 44.8% from the floor, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 73.0% from the free-throw line. The Utah product is set to make considerably more on the open market than the $13 million he would have earned next season if he didn’t decline his player option.
A Michigan native, Kuzma has career averages of 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists with the Los Angeles Lakers and Wizards. He helped Los Angeles win the 2020 championship over the Miami Heat in six games.
Mavericks Have Spoken to Celtics About Grant Williams Trade
The Mavericks have spoken to the Boston Celtics about a potential Grant Williams sign-and-trade deal, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic.
Williams becomes a restricted free agent on June 30. The Celtics forward and Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic are both represented by WME Sports.
“For example: one league source, granted anonymity since he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, told me Dallas has spoken with the Boston Celtics about a Grant Williams sign-and-trade,” Cato wrote. “Dallas isn’t interested in using its pick to acquire him, and the team might decide against an offer — something more than the mid-level exception — that would be large enough that Boston wouldn’t match. But Williams makes plenty of sense in Dallas, and there may be other ways to complete that deal with Boston’s help if Dallas decides to seriously pursue it.”
Williams averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Celtics this past season while shooting 45.4% from the field, 39.5% from 3 and 77.0% from the free-throw line in 79 games.
Suns Tried to Acquire Kyrie Irving
According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Phoenix Suns reached out to the Mavericks about a potential sign-and-trade deal for Kyrie Irving.
Dallas wasn’t interested in making a trade.
“The Suns don’t have much trade capital left after acquiring Bradley Beal from the Wizards,” Begley wrote. “So it’s fair to assume that they can’t make a trade for a top player like Kyrie Irving. But it’s worth noting that Phoenix had interest in Irving earlier in the offseason. The Suns were among the teams to reach out to Dallas about a potential sign-and-trade for Irving earlier in the offseason, per sources familiar with the matter.
Irving is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks, league sources told Heavy Sports.