The Dallas Mavericks are hanging in a safe balance. Suspended right in the middle of the top ladder, they rank 5th in the Western Conference. Following last season’s shortcomings, the duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have found synergy that has translated to the Mavs being a top-tier Western Conference side. The tandem has found the formula to co-exist and be impactful in winning. However, to make the final push, they are approaching the trade deadline with the heavy intent of taking action.

According to reports swirling around the league, the Mavericks are eyeing an upgrade in their frontcourt. Previously, they tried to reunite with Dorian Finney-Smith, who they traded to the Nets in the deal for Kyrie Irving. That vision crumbled with the Nets; high asking price of two-first round picks according to Nets Daily.

Their ongoing search has now landed on the Washington Wizards with hopes of formulating a trade for dynamic forward Kyle Kuzma. But that does with its own set of challenges. Namely, competition from one of their conference rivals.

Dallas Mavericks are fighting the Kings in their pursuit of Kyle Kuzma

Half the season has gone by and every team knows what they need to jump over the hurdles. With the trade deadline only weeks away, organizations are beating their brain trying to find the right trades to elevate their chances at the title. In the race are the Mavericks. The front office is hoping to add a third star besides KAI and Luka Doncic. After their first few choices fell through, they now have their sights set on Kyle Kuzma.

Unfortunately, they are going to have to fend off the Sacramento Kings if they wish to land the Wizards forward. According to Marc Stein, the Kings are also “known to be fans” of the 28-year-old starlet. After breaking a 16-year playoff drought last season, Sacramento stands at the exact place they did last year after 41 games. However, it’s only good enough to be 7th in the Western Conference. Considering their third-place finish last year, we can deduce the Kings are growing impatient.

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The only three players who are untouchable are De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray. So if we were to generate odds, who would have the higher chance of landing the highly demanded forward?

The Kings have an edge over the Dallas Mavericks

After the Kings reached out to the Washington Wizards to inquire about Kuzma’s availability, we found out the latter’s intentions. Washington is looking to stockpile on draft capital. The rumored asking price is multiple first-round picks. In hindsight, neither the Kings nor the Mavericks have an abundance of draft capital to ship out. However, Sacramento does have players who hold a higher value.

Let’s take a look at Dallas. Given Derek Lively’s significance in the lineup, they will remain reluctant to offer him. Tim Hardaway Jr., Derrick Jones, or Dwight Powell seem to be the only picks the Wizards might just take an interest in. But an important fact to note is that the Mavs lost significant draft capital when trading for Kyrie Irving.

On the other hand, the Kings won’t just offload their picks either. However, the three names running wild in trade talks – Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell, and Kevin Huerter all have more to offer to the Wizards than the Mavericks’ fodder. The Wizards desperately need stability on both ends of the floor. They rank amongst the bottom pile. Additionally, Huerter and Barnes are two guys sharpshooters who will help improve their perimeter offense, which currently ranks 25th.

READ MORE-Mavericks Trade Rumors: Dallas May Bid Farewell to Luka Doncic’s 6’5 Teammate Despite Having No Intentions To Part Ways

With each day, the trade rumors around Kuzma keep rising. It seems more and more certain that he will be traded. If it does come down between these two teams, the Mavericks might have to accept defeat and look for a new target. Where do you want to see Kuz go next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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