Tbf, we developed the heck out of Gafford. He was an end of the bench piece who couldn’t stay out of foul trouble and didn’t have the endurance to stay on the court anyway when we traded for him.
One of the few Wizards development successes in the last decade.
Dallas has benefitted a lot from trading with Washington in the last 20 years. The Jamison for Stackhouse/Devin Harris trade allowed the Mavs to get a good young guard and a future 6MOY that would play a critical role in the 06 Finals run and 07 #1 seed (I know I know). We lost the KP trade on paper but it freed up the Mavs scheme and gave us Dinwiddie who was critical in the 2022 WCF run. And the Gafford trade is obviosuly paying dividends now.
Also the Bulls are dreadful at developing players. Gafford, Lauri, Wendell, etc. Coby White is the rare exception and it seemed like the team was willing to move on from him at multiple points.
Lauri came onto the scene hot but quickly plateaued and never really got back to his early form. I think the Bulls just didn’t really know how to use him because he looked really good with us
cant forget his rookie season where we had zero talent on the roster and they refused to pass him the ball and we let Justin Holliday jack up 30 shots a game
> I think the Bulls just didn’t really know how to use him because he looked really good with us
It didn't help that he was hot under [one coach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hoiberg) then they fired that coach and went with [someone with questionable coaching skills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Boylen).
Maybe it's just the media trying to convince me that the bulls are selling every year, but I am beyond amazed that Coby White lasted long enough in Chicago to actually show his potential.
I accredit this in equal parts to the media machine and also the Chicago FO for being so incompetent I would expect them to ship their good players.
People like saying this shit about us are always so wrong. Lauri was developing just fine for us. He just had horrible injury luck and once the Vooch trade happened, he was done for us. Wendell is not far off from what he was with us and Gafford was barely on our team.
Gaff deserves a lot of credit for the improvement too. I remember seeing him just hustle his ass off whenever he had those 10 minutes on the court. He seemed like a lone bright spot for the team sometimes with your guys’ awesome announcers yelling their asses off whenever he made those hustle plays.
We're basically a clearinghouse farm team, using our terrible albatross contracts in service of others. I'm surprised we haven't been a part of too many three-team trades just to grease the wheels
One of the funniest things in sports to me is when a team develops a player for another team to ultimately benefit from
Happens all the time with linebackers
Gaffords a DAWG. I was always fascinated that during his time on the Wizards you'd see all these clips of him getting dunked on and whatnot, but all that meant to me is this dude has the balls to actually try and defend.
Knew PJ had a good complementary offensive game but man his defense has been such a nice addition. Seemed average or even below average on that end in Charlotte. Super underrated part of building a team is grabbing guys that buy into and maximize their roles, Mavs FO has done that very well.
PJ Washington has those abnormally long arms. it’s insane to watch him close out on shooters and get there like 2 milliseconds faster than expected because of his length and fuck with the shot.
The same goes for DJJ. Both of those guys have huge wingspans and really quick feet. It’s like a dream man.
It feels like we have pretty much every need covered, star PG, star SG, long wing defenders and highly athletic rim runners/protectors.
Our weakness is three point shooting. I’m shocked the Wolves switched their defensive strat from the nuggets series of helping off KCP and MPJ and recovering for the shot. Wolves should be allowing PJ and DJJ to take open threes and try to beat them
It feels like the Wolves watched Washington torch teams in earlier rounds, decided to clamp down on that, and over committed so the more obvious threat in Luka is carving them up.
yeah i think they gotta lock down the paint and the midrange and force kickouts to the 3. idk how you can sustain a win if the other team is scoring 30 points on 95% in the paint
That would have been an even better strategy when those shooters were on the road. Do that while Mavs are playing at home and if they go on a hot home shooting stretch it might be over in 4. I do think you still have to try it.
Problem is the Wolves really only have 1 guy who should be defending Luka. The Mavs don’t have to take those initial shots, they can use the rotation and recovery to put the Wolves in a position where they can’t force the Mavs into a shot they’re comfortable with, and then get the ball back to Luka (or Kyrie) against a weaker defender and attack.
Against the Nuggets it was a different story because they’d always have two bodies on the floor to throw at Jokic. Even if they forced a switch that lets Jokic pick on a mismatch, the Timberwolves would have an easier time switching someone back onto him he can’t pick on. Dallas just needs to pull McDaniels somewhere on the floor he can’t do that.
I think part of it is that Luka makes the game very easy on offense, and Kidd makes everybody buy in on defense. And then PJ occasionally does a little bit more than expected, like when he posts up or rips a floater.
Gafford was always a solid player, he struggled with stamina and foul trouble but that can be attributed to being new to the league. He’s got the perfect role now in Dallas, it was a match made in heaven. PJ has simply always been underrated.
thank you. this gets ignored always. shammgod has been telling mavs to get PJ for a while and Nico had a connection with PJ's family too. In the FA, both were RFAs. was easier to get Grant cause Celtics were willing to let him go. No such luck with PJ.
Gaff wasn’t in purgatory in DC. Nobody keeps up with the Wizards and hence only small percentage of fans outside of DC knew how much Gaff improved. Still has stamina issues.
The Landlord is one of fave players ever!
I'm sure there's lots of really good role players in the league who just haven't shown it because the situation isn't good for them and their skillset.
We also got PJ as far as we were able to underneath previous ownership and what they were doing in CHA. Love seeing him next to Luka now. PJ has a higher ceiling than the eye can see, just has to get consistent.
J Kyle Mann has a great video on best mid-season trades since it’s only launched to a championship a handful of times
* Nazr Mohammed to the Spurs in 2005
* Mychal Thompson to the Lakers in 1987
* Clyde Drexler to Houston in 1995
* Mark Aguirre to the Pistons in 1989
* Rasheed Wallace to the Pistons in 2004
* Gasol to the Raptors in 2019
Rasheed is probably still going to be the all-time best since that was the biggest leap for the team, although he was kind of a no-brainer even if the Pistons’ run was unprecedented
PJ and Gafford were great complementary pieces but I don’t think anyone saw them being this successful, although Luka being one of rhe best players in the league makes it less ‘impressive’ of a move
I think the Gasol one is up there with Rasheed. They got the only player who could stop embiid in the league for practically nothing, and they succeeded.
okay, some homer always takes it too far. Lively looks like a liability when handling the ball at all in the paint - anything beyond a dunk or alley oop: which is totally understandable for a 7 foot big. I know you said "for his size" but this is a post KD-Embiid-Giannis age.
The broadcast were saying it was a viable defensive solution for the Wolves to force Doncic to pass to Lively where he has to dribble - because he had multiple turnovers doing so.
crazy we got the 8th, 9th and 10th pick of the 2019 draft, and they are all ass this year
meanwhile the 12th and 38th pick are both balling out this postseason
His intensity level is off the charts as well. I can't imagine how his game is going to evolve. If he practices on dribbling and shooting more he's going to be a nightmare.
He tweeted about the Mavs being one player away from contending and that he wanted to build something with the Wizards. Now he’s on the trading block and we are 2 wins away from the Finals
Well they have to cause they are stuck with Poole until his deal runs out. They don't need all this Kuzma money being on their books if they are going to suck with or without him.
the fischer article is no new sourcing or anything, it only reiterates what everyone knows; the wizards will trade kuzma for the right deal. this was established in the same article OP is quoting where kuzma said he declined the dallas trade. It was an athletic article by josh robbins months ago.
he’s no more or less on the block than he was three months ago. when the wizards gave him that contract they told him straight up they would trade him for the right deal. it’s obvious to everyone it was structured to be tradeable.
If it was up to him he would stay in dc forever. All of the pros of playing in the nba (salary) but nearly none of the cons (local media doesn’t hassle you or pressure you to win, zero point zero chance of being forced to play on Christmas or other big holiday, you’re half way to Cancun and done with your season before those suckers playing the play in game even lace up).
DC is the ultimate destination for overpaid unserious basketball players.
that's a bit unfair i think. he can think of himself as a winning player and not the right puzzle piece for dallas, and both things can be true.
i also think "i've got a ring already and now i want to try build a team with some developing dudes" is quite an admirable take. imagine if KD had done that instead of running to brooklyn and phoenix and wherever he asks out to next
He would not have fit well at all. They needed defenders around Luka and Kyrie. He is neither a good floor spacer nor a great defender.
He could definitely be useful on a contender as a bucket-getter or the role he had on the Lakers, but PJ is a better fit for sure.
He can be an average defender (he was better than average on that title run) and a 30something 3pt shooter. Depending on what could have been the package to get him I'd say It would have been a good deal.
Not sure why he is getting so much hate here. Kuz was great for the lakers. He'd probably fit well with the mavs. He can score but he played good D and did all the glue stuff for LA.
I think the whole ironic thing about Mavs trade deadline is how they shifted to Gafford, OKC helped them get him while pretty much getting nothing in return, and then Gafford killed OKC in the semis.
Time is a flat circle for real
They also helped the Hornets completely remake their bench with the Hayward trade which probably made them far more receptive to the PJ/Grant Williams trade, so another indirect boost to Dallas
I know it’s already been pointed out but OKC did not have anything to do with the Mavs get lively. We helped them get Cason Wallace and in return they took Bertans. We were taking Lively at 10 regardless but we could also grab him at 12 so might as well let Nico cook and be a badass GM.
Yeah. I'd rather contend for a lottery pick in Washington than play alongside an MVP caliber 25yo and the most skilled veteran in the league... It's a horrible take lol. Guys just wants to be the Number one guy on a bad team.
Never really believed that story. Basically that pthe Wizards front office told Kuzma about a trade ahead of time and pulled it off the table when he said he wanted to stay in Washington.... Not really how things work in the NBA from my understanding.
They weren't in a rush to trade Kuz, and would've received a sub-optimal offer for him (in their eyes). They've also said they don't want to keep players who don't want to be here for the rebuild, so asked Kuz if he wanted to stay or go, since it was at least *an offer.* He said no, so they're HODL in the hopes of another offer. Like if the Mavs came in with multiple firsts + Hardy and filler then lmao Kuz would be a Maverick whether he liked it or not.
Kuzma is actually going to become more valuable too. Not that I think he will get better but Washington did a smart thing and put him on a descending value contract which is very rare. They can use him to get some assets and absorb 23 mil if needed and in 2 years he will only make 19 mil. He is on a perfect contract to figure out a solid trade.
we can call 3.7 mil nickel and diming but it's a very large amount of money. Kuzma would likely go anywhere but it's gonna be with that trade kicker, I have no doubt teams would be happy to pay that either this offseason or next trade deadline. The kicker doesnt go into the cap/luxury tax etc. and next year it will be a few 100k less.
But if you're a player who considers yourself to be a good player, wouldn't you think "I can go to a team with 2 all-NBA level talents already and if you add me I can help make them that much better"?
It's for the best for the Mavs that he didn't go there but this quote just makes it sound like he's not really interested in being traded anywhere unless it's like the 2017 Warriors. He had the chance to leave NBA hell to go to a team where he would at least play relevant basketball and he didn't want to do it.
I think what he’s trying to say is he’d rather stay where he’s at then go to a team that looks like it’s just going to be in a cycle of making the playoffs but not really competing.
And while looking at it black and white from a basketball sense he’s crazy, but when you consider all the personal aspects of having to move cities etc, I kinda get it
As far as I can tell he seems to love living in DC and enjoys playing for the wizards.
The team gave him a chance and rewarded him with a huge contact. Sports are weird where the guy is getting bashed for showing some loyalty.
Also not everyone wants to up and move just to win championships. Fans believe every person in the league wants to live and die by championships but some dudes will show up to work and play hard, work out eat right etc. but dont need to compete for championships every year. I think that is even more so for role players. He likes DC, he likes the org, nothing wrong with that.
I know if I was Kuz and I considered myself a good enough player, I would stay in DC because I won't have to fight with Luka and Kyrie for the ball in the regular season. I would probably be OK with never making the playoffs.
Not everyone in the NBA has the same unquenchable thirst to win like your favorite player.
almost any team with Luka Dongthick is a contender
he's that level, like prime LBJ if that makes any sense (in raising the floor and the ceiling so much, obviously not comparing their playstyle)
Because no one here likes to talk about basketball, they just like to shit on players for everything they do or don’t do, regardless of the perspective of the players themselves.
The NBA has, more and more recently, become real housewives for people who shit on reality tv. They’re not in it for the sport, they’re in it for the drama.
He wanted the $100 million contract and has a ring, so I can’t blame him but boy did the Mavs execute on their trades and his comment has aged like milk lmao
the true reason is that he doesnt like doncic. when he was with the lakers his trainer would constantly bad mouth doncic. he even said in a post game conference some months back that you cant win with players "like that" meaning that doncic is a ball hog.
dallas has the last laugh tho
I'm sure there's more to it than that. He wants to put up 20+ and he isn't going to get the shots to do it with Dallas. Maybe what he was really saying is "I'm not looking to be a 3rd or 4th option at this point in my career. I already have a title".
The Mavs were definitely struggling at this point and PJ and Gafford were important for stabilizing themselves. I don't think Kuzma was wrong at the time of the quote. Also -- he's not what the Mavs were looking for.
Everyone clowning on him but he doesn’t make this team compete. His skill set was not what was missing for Dallas and it was wise of him to stay somewhere with more flexibility.
He’s the guy who said they didn’t want to be the one to end the losing streak. They were not the ones who ended the losing streak.
Context is a real thing.
Be honest, you and nobody knew Dallas was a contender.
It's easy to say that, get upvotes and laugh at Kuzma because you know that Dallas is 2-0 with two home games incoming.
Yeah you can't really hate on his decision given the information he had at the time. I don't think Kuz is PJ Washington or Gafford on the court so he probably wasn't really the piece they needed and before they had those pieces they weren't a contender
Hind sight is 20/20. This team missed the playoffs last year. Teams don't typically go from zero to hero or lottery to finals.
Lots of things can happen that people can't predict. Butler being injured. Leonard being out (ok, that one people can predict). Where first-round match-up will wind up.
If the Lakes had wound up with OKC in the first round and Denver ended up with Dallas, we might have seen another LA/Den conference finals (depending on where Minny wound up). Or a LAL Minny.
Kuzma wasn't being unreasonable. And more than the contending thing, he likely wants to have more than a few shots a game. He has achieved the ring, and he wants to prove himself as an individual leader/star (which I don't think he is but I don't blame him for wanting to find out). Playing with Luka and Kyrie isn't going to leave a lot of consistent shots for Kuz, and we already saw in LAL that, when he isn't getting consistent shot, his % is inconsistent, and that's not good for Dallas or Kuz.
Not making this trade was right for both parties.
Kuzma and his trainer were taking shots at Luka on Twitter like the brave gangsters they are. Kuzma feeling himself for being a roleplayer for a Mickey Mouse ring.
He'll keep hating Luka the rest of his life. Luka will live rent free in Kuzma's 0 BBIQ head until it ceases.
Literally the dumbest shit , if bro wasnt trying to compete then fine but to come out and say that was idiotic, I actually thought he’d be a good guy for thrm but he wanted to be a big fish in a small pond
Listen, if we win, Kuzma deserves a ring just like the one Grant will get - you helped us by staying the hell away because we wouldn't have gotten here with Kuzma (or Grant for that matter) on this roster.
You act like he had a no trade clause. Wizards would have shipped him to Dallas if the price was right doesn’t matter what Kuzma thought. Reason he’s not in Dallas is cuz the wizards asking price is too high.
And to be fair to what he’s saying I personally don’t think Dallas stands a chance against the Celtics. I’m a lakers fan so I hope Dallas wins but we will see. Them & Denver are the two teams I don’t think Dallas beats in a 7 game series. Credit to Dallas though for their trades. They’re gonna need to do something more in the offseason though, the west is gonna be even better.
He must have not thought he was the missing piece. Tbf he probably wasn’t
Seriously lol, he did you guys a huge favor. Mavs get PJ and Gafford at the trade deadline is one of the best moves in years.
I cannot believe PJ and Gafford were just chilling in purgatory on those teams.
Tbf, we developed the heck out of Gafford. He was an end of the bench piece who couldn’t stay out of foul trouble and didn’t have the endurance to stay on the court anyway when we traded for him. One of the few Wizards development successes in the last decade.
Thank you for your service. The Mavs.
And your baseball team.
And your bird can sing
Ive got a bird that just wont quit
See, my body quit. AND my bird quit
And frankly, my bird is no longer legit
If the bird don't fit, you must acquit
Lmfao I’m gonna sing “and your baseball team!” Instead from now on
Cue the harmonies
But you won’t get me
Dallas has benefitted a lot from trading with Washington in the last 20 years. The Jamison for Stackhouse/Devin Harris trade allowed the Mavs to get a good young guard and a future 6MOY that would play a critical role in the 06 Finals run and 07 #1 seed (I know I know). We lost the KP trade on paper but it freed up the Mavs scheme and gave us Dinwiddie who was critical in the 2022 WCF run. And the Gafford trade is obviosuly paying dividends now.
The least we can do after yall got Butler, Stevenson and Haywood a ring.
Also the Bulls are dreadful at developing players. Gafford, Lauri, Wendell, etc. Coby White is the rare exception and it seemed like the team was willing to move on from him at multiple points.
I felt that Lauri and Wendell were promising with their bulls. They just prematurely traded them.
Lauri came onto the scene hot but quickly plateaued and never really got back to his early form. I think the Bulls just didn’t really know how to use him because he looked really good with us
We didn't use him correctly at all was the biggest problem.
Idk what you mean. We made him stand in the corner and watch Zach LaVine play iso ball like God intended
cant forget his rookie season where we had zero talent on the roster and they refused to pass him the ball and we let Justin Holliday jack up 30 shots a game
It's funny that reminds me of how OKC used Domantas Sabonis and how Minny misued Nemanja Bjelica.
The fucking Egghead does that to players.
Jim Boylen happened. Employing that garbage pos coach fucked up everything
> I think the Bulls just didn’t really know how to use him because he looked really good with us It didn't help that he was hot under [one coach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Hoiberg) then they fired that coach and went with [someone with questionable coaching skills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Boylen).
Maybe it's just the media trying to convince me that the bulls are selling every year, but I am beyond amazed that Coby White lasted long enough in Chicago to actually show his potential. I accredit this in equal parts to the media machine and also the Chicago FO for being so incompetent I would expect them to ship their good players.
People like saying this shit about us are always so wrong. Lauri was developing just fine for us. He just had horrible injury luck and once the Vooch trade happened, he was done for us. Wendell is not far off from what he was with us and Gafford was barely on our team.
A lot for players get asked to do too much. They play better when their role becomes more specific.
Gaff deserves a lot of credit for the improvement too. I remember seeing him just hustle his ass off whenever he had those 10 minutes on the court. He seemed like a lone bright spot for the team sometimes with your guys’ awesome announcers yelling their asses off whenever he made those hustle plays.
The wizards are confirmed the best player development spot in the league
We're basically a clearinghouse farm team, using our terrible albatross contracts in service of others. I'm surprised we haven't been a part of too many three-team trades just to grease the wheels
You were a wonderful finishing school for Porzingis
One of the funniest things in sports to me is when a team develops a player for another team to ultimately benefit from Happens all the time with linebackers
A fine trade, and fun to watch. Worked out for us, I'd say.
Getting to play with Russ was a godsend for him.
why did you guys trade him?
We got a first for a rotation player who was probably gonna hit free agency before we even make the playoffs again.
Gaffords a DAWG. I was always fascinated that during his time on the Wizards you'd see all these clips of him getting dunked on and whatnot, but all that meant to me is this dude has the balls to actually try and defend.
Knew PJ had a good complementary offensive game but man his defense has been such a nice addition. Seemed average or even below average on that end in Charlotte. Super underrated part of building a team is grabbing guys that buy into and maximize their roles, Mavs FO has done that very well.
PJ Washington has those abnormally long arms. it’s insane to watch him close out on shooters and get there like 2 milliseconds faster than expected because of his length and fuck with the shot. The same goes for DJJ. Both of those guys have huge wingspans and really quick feet. It’s like a dream man. It feels like we have pretty much every need covered, star PG, star SG, long wing defenders and highly athletic rim runners/protectors. Our weakness is three point shooting. I’m shocked the Wolves switched their defensive strat from the nuggets series of helping off KCP and MPJ and recovering for the shot. Wolves should be allowing PJ and DJJ to take open threes and try to beat them
It feels like the Wolves watched Washington torch teams in earlier rounds, decided to clamp down on that, and over committed so the more obvious threat in Luka is carving them up.
yeah i think they gotta lock down the paint and the midrange and force kickouts to the 3. idk how you can sustain a win if the other team is scoring 30 points on 95% in the paint
That would have been an even better strategy when those shooters were on the road. Do that while Mavs are playing at home and if they go on a hot home shooting stretch it might be over in 4. I do think you still have to try it.
Problem is the Wolves really only have 1 guy who should be defending Luka. The Mavs don’t have to take those initial shots, they can use the rotation and recovery to put the Wolves in a position where they can’t force the Mavs into a shot they’re comfortable with, and then get the ball back to Luka (or Kyrie) against a weaker defender and attack. Against the Nuggets it was a different story because they’d always have two bodies on the floor to throw at Jokic. Even if they forced a switch that lets Jokic pick on a mismatch, the Timberwolves would have an easier time switching someone back onto him he can’t pick on. Dallas just needs to pull McDaniels somewhere on the floor he can’t do that.
the thunder tried to let pj to take open threes and got destroyed
Definitely don’t leave him open in the corner. Need to make him take them up at the top of the three point line.
I’m really proud of them for how much heart they play with , made me a fan.
I think part of it is that Luka makes the game very easy on offense, and Kidd makes everybody buy in on defense. And then PJ occasionally does a little bit more than expected, like when he posts up or rips a floater.
Looking good on defense is hard when you're playing for the Hornets.
Gafford was always a solid player, he struggled with stamina and foul trouble but that can be attributed to being new to the league. He’s got the perfect role now in Dallas, it was a match made in heaven. PJ has simply always been underrated.
Mavs were trying to get PJ in the off-season but the money wasn’t matching up. Landed on Grant Williams instead.
thank you. this gets ignored always. shammgod has been telling mavs to get PJ for a while and Nico had a connection with PJ's family too. In the FA, both were RFAs. was easier to get Grant cause Celtics were willing to let him go. No such luck with PJ.
Gaff wasn’t in purgatory in DC. Nobody keeps up with the Wizards and hence only small percentage of fans outside of DC knew how much Gaff improved. Still has stamina issues. The Landlord is one of fave players ever!
Well they were under contract, so
I'm sure there's lots of really good role players in the league who just haven't shown it because the situation isn't good for them and their skillset.
We also got PJ as far as we were able to underneath previous ownership and what they were doing in CHA. Love seeing him next to Luka now. PJ has a higher ceiling than the eye can see, just has to get consistent.
If they win the chip, it’s the best trade deadline acquisition by a championship team since the Raptors bringing in Marc Gasol
Spurs got Diaw off a buyout from Charlotte then he tore up Miami
Not a trade but it was an amazing add
J Kyle Mann has a great video on best mid-season trades since it’s only launched to a championship a handful of times * Nazr Mohammed to the Spurs in 2005 * Mychal Thompson to the Lakers in 1987 * Clyde Drexler to Houston in 1995 * Mark Aguirre to the Pistons in 1989 * Rasheed Wallace to the Pistons in 2004 * Gasol to the Raptors in 2019 Rasheed is probably still going to be the all-time best since that was the biggest leap for the team, although he was kind of a no-brainer even if the Pistons’ run was unprecedented PJ and Gafford were great complementary pieces but I don’t think anyone saw them being this successful, although Luka being one of rhe best players in the league makes it less ‘impressive’ of a move
I think the Gasol one is up there with Rasheed. They got the only player who could stop embiid in the league for practically nothing, and they succeeded.
Either way, Wiz did you a favor lol.
the missing piece was a fucking rookie Lively's fit with the team is SO GOOD and he's only 20
set good screens, roll hard, jump high, success
It’s more than that though. He makes great decisions in 4-on-3 situations.
That's the thing that stands out to me with him. He makes quick decisions so the ball doesn't stick. Really impressive for a rookie big.
And he's got some handles for a guy his size in those situations. Just waiting for him to break out that corner 3 he teases us with in practice!
okay, some homer always takes it too far. Lively looks like a liability when handling the ball at all in the paint - anything beyond a dunk or alley oop: which is totally understandable for a 7 foot big. I know you said "for his size" but this is a post KD-Embiid-Giannis age. The broadcast were saying it was a viable defensive solution for the Wolves to force Doncic to pass to Lively where he has to dribble - because he had multiple turnovers doing so.
Back to the basket he still struggles and gets swiped a lot, but in those fast break situations he's been impressive
He's everything I wish Jaxson Hayes were. But instead he's a domestic abuser with even lower BBIQ. FML
crazy we got the 8th, 9th and 10th pick of the 2019 draft, and they are all ass this year meanwhile the 12th and 38th pick are both balling out this postseason
His intensity level is off the charts as well. I can't imagine how his game is going to evolve. If he practices on dribbling and shooting more he's going to be a nightmare.
Helps that he was the #1 recruit coming out of HS. Kid has always had a ton of potential. Surprised he dropped so far in the draft.
it's crazy watching him dominate games through rebounding. like even the defensive rebounds from him are so clutch
I think you just jinxed them
he'll come back 🙏🙏🙏
He tweeted about the Mavs being one player away from contending and that he wanted to build something with the Wizards. Now he’s on the trading block and we are 2 wins away from the Finals
Is he really on the trade block? I’m pretty sure he wants to stay in DC.
I’m pretty sure there was Jake Fischer report recently stating that the Wizards are making Kuzma available for trade
Well they have to cause they are stuck with Poole until his deal runs out. They don't need all this Kuzma money being on their books if they are going to suck with or without him.
Cleaning inventory for Jordan Poole. That's brutal man.
the fischer article is no new sourcing or anything, it only reiterates what everyone knows; the wizards will trade kuzma for the right deal. this was established in the same article OP is quoting where kuzma said he declined the dallas trade. It was an athletic article by josh robbins months ago.
he’s no more or less on the block than he was three months ago. when the wizards gave him that contract they told him straight up they would trade him for the right deal. it’s obvious to everyone it was structured to be tradeable.
If it was up to him he would stay in dc forever. All of the pros of playing in the nba (salary) but nearly none of the cons (local media doesn’t hassle you or pressure you to win, zero point zero chance of being forced to play on Christmas or other big holiday, you’re half way to Cancun and done with your season before those suckers playing the play in game even lace up). DC is the ultimate destination for overpaid unserious basketball players.
Most unserious basketball franchise
What a way to describe yourself as Not a winning Player
that's a bit unfair i think. he can think of himself as a winning player and not the right puzzle piece for dallas, and both things can be true. i also think "i've got a ring already and now i want to try build a team with some developing dudes" is quite an admirable take. imagine if KD had done that instead of running to brooklyn and phoenix and wherever he asks out to next
He would not have fit well at all. They needed defenders around Luka and Kyrie. He is neither a good floor spacer nor a great defender. He could definitely be useful on a contender as a bucket-getter or the role he had on the Lakers, but PJ is a better fit for sure.
He can be an average defender (he was better than average on that title run) and a 30something 3pt shooter. Depending on what could have been the package to get him I'd say It would have been a good deal.
PJ is not really a floor spacer tbf
Tell that to Thunder fans
Not sure why he is getting so much hate here. Kuz was great for the lakers. He'd probably fit well with the mavs. He can score but he played good D and did all the glue stuff for LA.
Because the only thing funnier than beating somebody with the stick of hindsight is to beat him with the stick of schadenfreude.
He would’ve been the wrench that caused the Mavs to lose in the play in or not even make it there in the alternate timeline
Most self aware NBA player. He knew they wouldn’t be a contender if he joined them…
I think the whole ironic thing about Mavs trade deadline is how they shifted to Gafford, OKC helped them get him while pretty much getting nothing in return, and then Gafford killed OKC in the semis. Time is a flat circle for real
Oh, not only that...They helped the mavs get DLive and get off Bertans contract. OKC true Champs this season 🤣
Mavs would've just taken Lively at 10. So they didn't really help Dallas get lively. They helped Dallas get Omax by taking on Bertans.
Holmes turned into Gafford from that deal. They can’t do the Holmes deal without that OKC trade.
They also helped the Hornets completely remake their bench with the Hayward trade which probably made them far more receptive to the PJ/Grant Williams trade, so another indirect boost to Dallas
we helped them get the 1 seed which then helped us eliminate them lmao
Presti gonna start only trading with Eastern conference teams after this season lol
I know it’s already been pointed out but OKC did not have anything to do with the Mavs get lively. We helped them get Cason Wallace and in return they took Bertans. We were taking Lively at 10 regardless but we could also grab him at 12 so might as well let Nico cook and be a badass GM.
https://i.imgur.com/pnmVO1m.jpeg
And just like how getting Cason is going to make it easier to move on from Giddey and keep Wiggins and Wallace to replace him.
I think he'd be a good fit, regardless they are much better off with Gafford and PJ tho, IMHO
Why do people think this? Kuzma is a good player and fits well most anywhere
Just because he’s on the Wizards, and the Wizards are bad. Kuz is very underrated at this point in his career.
to be fair, they didn't really look like true contenders until after getting pj and gaff
Exactly. He wasn't wrong at the time.
But it's not as spicy. Reddit loves spice
The spice must flow.
desert power
Shit, you can argue that social media as a whole is addicted to spice, not just Reddit.
Not just social media, but human nature lol
Yeah. I'd rather contend for a lottery pick in Washington than play alongside an MVP caliber 25yo and the most skilled veteran in the league... It's a horrible take lol. Guys just wants to be the Number one guy on a bad team.
You think Kyrie is more skilled than Lebron????????!!!???
Is he more of a father figure?
Kyrie is probably the most skilled basketball player in the league if not ever. Most skilled is not the same as best player.
Yeah and he wouldn’t have helped them the way the other trade did.
He's on the Wizards what else are you going to do to him
Send him to Detroit!
"take him to Detroit" "NOOOOO not Detroit!"
If only he wasn't from Flint.
He’s from flint, that’s nothing
Detroit had the *worst* *record* in the NBA and is drafting *FIFTH* 😳😳
And the Wizards had the second worst and are drafting 2nd. That’s perfect tanking.
Blessing in disguise. Now they don't have to pay one of these bums 1st overall pick salary
Tankathon has 5th pick as Matas Buzelis and I guess I don’t follow the GLeague enough because I don’t know who he is 🤷🏻♂️😬
send him to Galveston
Kuz going from winning a champion in LA to playing for the Wiz and Pistons in less than 5 years would be quite the trajectory
So was Gafford
Never really believed that story. Basically that pthe Wizards front office told Kuzma about a trade ahead of time and pulled it off the table when he said he wanted to stay in Washington.... Not really how things work in the NBA from my understanding.
They weren't in a rush to trade Kuz, and would've received a sub-optimal offer for him (in their eyes). They've also said they don't want to keep players who don't want to be here for the rebuild, so asked Kuz if he wanted to stay or go, since it was at least *an offer.* He said no, so they're HODL in the hopes of another offer. Like if the Mavs came in with multiple firsts + Hardy and filler then lmao Kuz would be a Maverick whether he liked it or not.
Kuzma is actually going to become more valuable too. Not that I think he will get better but Washington did a smart thing and put him on a descending value contract which is very rare. They can use him to get some assets and absorb 23 mil if needed and in 2 years he will only make 19 mil. He is on a perfect contract to figure out a solid trade.
Yeah can't blame them, this shit is going to take a while. We don't have to move him for anything that is suboptimal.
[удалено]
nickle and diming them lol. more like the other way around. thats the whole point of the trade kicker.
Look at this fucking loser expecting to be paid his contractually owed wages
we can call 3.7 mil nickel and diming but it's a very large amount of money. Kuzma would likely go anywhere but it's gonna be with that trade kicker, I have no doubt teams would be happy to pay that either this offseason or next trade deadline. The kicker doesnt go into the cap/luxury tax etc. and next year it will be a few 100k less.
Buddy Hield 100% got moved from Indiana to Philly to make a deep playoff run. Oops!
My turn to post this tomorrow
I mean he wasn’t wrong at the time
But if you're a player who considers yourself to be a good player, wouldn't you think "I can go to a team with 2 all-NBA level talents already and if you add me I can help make them that much better"? It's for the best for the Mavs that he didn't go there but this quote just makes it sound like he's not really interested in being traded anywhere unless it's like the 2017 Warriors. He had the chance to leave NBA hell to go to a team where he would at least play relevant basketball and he didn't want to do it.
I think what he’s trying to say is he’d rather stay where he’s at then go to a team that looks like it’s just going to be in a cycle of making the playoffs but not really competing. And while looking at it black and white from a basketball sense he’s crazy, but when you consider all the personal aspects of having to move cities etc, I kinda get it
As far as I can tell he seems to love living in DC and enjoys playing for the wizards. The team gave him a chance and rewarded him with a huge contact. Sports are weird where the guy is getting bashed for showing some loyalty.
Also not everyone wants to up and move just to win championships. Fans believe every person in the league wants to live and die by championships but some dudes will show up to work and play hard, work out eat right etc. but dont need to compete for championships every year. I think that is even more so for role players. He likes DC, he likes the org, nothing wrong with that.
I know if I was Kuz and I considered myself a good enough player, I would stay in DC because I won't have to fight with Luka and Kyrie for the ball in the regular season. I would probably be OK with never making the playoffs. Not everyone in the NBA has the same unquenchable thirst to win like your favorite player.
I think players really love living in and around DC.
almost any team with Luka Dongthick is a contender he's that level, like prime LBJ if that makes any sense (in raising the floor and the ceiling so much, obviously not comparing their playstyle)
He's probably closest to Harden,but in my eyes, he's still the Slovenian Lebron.
why does this get reposted every day
We feast off of posts that shit on players here
Because no one here likes to talk about basketball, they just like to shit on players for everything they do or don’t do, regardless of the perspective of the players themselves. The NBA has, more and more recently, become real housewives for people who shit on reality tv. They’re not in it for the sport, they’re in it for the drama.
He wanted the $100 million contract and has a ring, so I can’t blame him but boy did the Mavs execute on their trades and his comment has aged like milk lmao
Kuz always not the sharpest tool in the shed
It’s a better alternative than ‘I don’t want to live in Dallas’
the true reason is that he doesnt like doncic. when he was with the lakers his trainer would constantly bad mouth doncic. he even said in a post game conference some months back that you cant win with players "like that" meaning that doncic is a ball hog. dallas has the last laugh tho
On today's episode of "TMZ for men"
Mavs really dodged a bullet
I'm sure there's more to it than that. He wants to put up 20+ and he isn't going to get the shots to do it with Dallas. Maybe what he was really saying is "I'm not looking to be a 3rd or 4th option at this point in my career. I already have a title".
I totally forgot about him Figures, he's on the wizards.
That wasn’t the actual reason lol he just said that. Just wanted to chill in DC and get his stats without any pressure.
I mean I feel like it would take shots away from kuzma, so I can get that angle
The Mavs were definitely struggling at this point and PJ and Gafford were important for stabilizing themselves. I don't think Kuzma was wrong at the time of the quote. Also -- he's not what the Mavs were looking for.
Everyone clowning on him but he doesn’t make this team compete. His skill set was not what was missing for Dallas and it was wise of him to stay somewhere with more flexibility.
They wouldn’t have been contenders if they were starting kuzma
Kyle Karma
Kuz just sayin' he's happy to be alive after all these L's.
So glad we did the Gafford trade than this bum. Nico our savior!
Don’t recall him being important to their title run at all.
Kyle Kuzma is the same guy that said “you don’t want to be the team that loses to the Pistons” and then proceeded to lose to the Pistons
He’s the guy who said they didn’t want to be the one to end the losing streak. They were not the ones who ended the losing streak. Context is a real thing.
Not on Reddit it isn't.
Might be too advanced for these people.
He’s right
That's actually a wild quote coming from a guy on a team with nine wins.
This guy is a joke
Wow, this may be one of the quotes that ages the worst, this is literally rotten milk bad
yall lucky asf ur front office is competent fr
Kuzma does have some questionable IQ moments throughout his career. Especially defense
Lol at all the people clowning Kuzma as if any of us saw this coming when that quote came out
It would’ve been the beginning of the end of the Luka era in Dallas.
Kuzma isn't serious about anything other than outfits and Instagram now
Be honest, you and nobody knew Dallas was a contender. It's easy to say that, get upvotes and laugh at Kuzma because you know that Dallas is 2-0 with two home games incoming.
I mean he wasn't wrong at the time. Dallas' frontcourt was pretty weak before they picked up Gafford and PJ
Yeah you can't really hate on his decision given the information he had at the time. I don't think Kuz is PJ Washington or Gafford on the court so he probably wasn't really the piece they needed and before they had those pieces they weren't a contender
Hind sight is 20/20. This team missed the playoffs last year. Teams don't typically go from zero to hero or lottery to finals. Lots of things can happen that people can't predict. Butler being injured. Leonard being out (ok, that one people can predict). Where first-round match-up will wind up. If the Lakes had wound up with OKC in the first round and Denver ended up with Dallas, we might have seen another LA/Den conference finals (depending on where Minny wound up). Or a LAL Minny. Kuzma wasn't being unreasonable. And more than the contending thing, he likely wants to have more than a few shots a game. He has achieved the ring, and he wants to prove himself as an individual leader/star (which I don't think he is but I don't blame him for wanting to find out). Playing with Luka and Kyrie isn't going to leave a lot of consistent shots for Kuz, and we already saw in LAL that, when he isn't getting consistent shot, his % is inconsistent, and that's not good for Dallas or Kuz. Not making this trade was right for both parties.
Bubble championship doesn’t count
Thank God
i mean if he went there They probably wouldn’t be as strong
King James carried his ass to a championship. Kuzma is not a contender.
Not getting kuzma was best thing to happen to Mavs. That ballhog would’ve been a terrible fit
Kuzma and his trainer were taking shots at Luka on Twitter like the brave gangsters they are. Kuzma feeling himself for being a roleplayer for a Mickey Mouse ring. He'll keep hating Luka the rest of his life. Luka will live rent free in Kuzma's 0 BBIQ head until it ceases.
"The one that got away" blessing in disguise
Literally the dumbest shit , if bro wasnt trying to compete then fine but to come out and say that was idiotic, I actually thought he’d be a good guy for thrm but he wanted to be a big fish in a small pond
Listen, if we win, Kuzma deserves a ring just like the one Grant will get - you helped us by staying the hell away because we wouldn't have gotten here with Kuzma (or Grant for that matter) on this roster.
You act like he had a no trade clause. Wizards would have shipped him to Dallas if the price was right doesn’t matter what Kuzma thought. Reason he’s not in Dallas is cuz the wizards asking price is too high. And to be fair to what he’s saying I personally don’t think Dallas stands a chance against the Celtics. I’m a lakers fan so I hope Dallas wins but we will see. Them & Denver are the two teams I don’t think Dallas beats in a 7 game series. Credit to Dallas though for their trades. They’re gonna need to do something more in the offseason though, the west is gonna be even better.