The NBA is a league in which executives usually have control and the final say when it comes to closing moves for their players. However, this past market closure left a surprising episode in which it was the player who made the final decision on whether or not to carry out the operation.
The Washington Wizards were very close to trading Kyle Kuzma to the Dallas Mavericks. Before the operation was formalized, the capital’s president of basketball operations, Michael Winger, informed the power forward about the general market of the agreement. Then, he told the executive that he preferred to stay in Washington and the Wizards management decided to break off negotiations and keep Kuzma, according to the journalist from The Athletic Josh Robbins.
“There was a time when Dallas definitely wanted me,” Kuzma noted. «Winger presented me what the transfer would be. He didn’t want to transfer me and he left the decision to me. He asked me what I wanted to do. I told him that he wanted to stay and continue building something. And that was the end.”
The player delved into his decision and concluded that packing his bags for the Mavericks would not bring him closer to his goal of winning another ring. «I have already won a championship. I understand that when we play this it’s not just about competing to play in the playoffs, but about competing for an NBA championship. There are only three or four candidates, real candidates. “I just felt like our schedules didn’t match.”
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As Robbins explains, Kuzma’s contract does not include a trade veto clause, but the Wizards promised him and his agent Austin Brown when they extended his contract that, unless they received a trade offer too good to refuse, they would listen to his opinion regarding any transfer proposal. It is not clear what the Mavericks offered for Kuzma, but it is understood that he did not surprise the Washington board, who wanted to verify, in turn, the player’s commitment.
“Kyle is an important player for us and an important contributor to our developing culture,” Winger shared to The Athletic. “Your commitment is necessary for us to achieve our competitive objectives. Given the circumstances, I wanted to test his conviction to continue guiding us. She re-emphasized her desire to move forward and we are honored to have her.”
(Cover photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
2024-02-13 19:00:00
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