The Dallas Mavericks were linked to Kyle Kuzma until the day of the NBA trade deadline. Dallas ended up acquiring PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets and Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards instead. But were the Mavs close to acquiring Kuzma?

Sources reportedly said Washington strongly considered one trade offer for Kuzma, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The team that made the offer wasn't revealed, but it was believed to be Dallas. In the end, Kuzma ended up remaining with the Wizards and the Mavs were still able to address needs on their roster.

Mavericks ended up not acquiring Kyle Kuzma

Kuzma would have been a fit in Dallas. A versatile forward, Kuzma would have added value both offensively and defensively. His ability to guard multiple positions is something that surely caught Dallas' attention.

Kuzma is also a respectable rebounder. The Mavericks' troubles on the boards have been well-documented during the 2023-24 season, but they were able to address that area of concern with Gafford and Washington.

In the end, missing out on Kuzma wasn't ideal. However, the Mavericks did enough to make noise in the Western Conference. Sure, Dallas still isn't favored to win the West, but there is no question that the Mavs should be taken seriously in the conference.

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Of course, it all begins with the star-power of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Additionally, Dereck Lively II has played a pivotal role throughout the 2023-24 campaign. If all three of those players can stay healthy in the second-half, then Dallas will find themselves in a good position heading into the playoffs.

Depth is key in the NBA, though. So adding Washington and Gafford is only going to help. Players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., and Jaden Hardy will also play important roles for Dallas.

It will be interesting to see if the Mavericks end up getting linked to Kyle Kuzma again at some point down the road. They appeared to have interest in the Wizards forward, so revisiting the idea of adding him in the future, whether via trade or in free agency, may appeal to the Mavericks.