The dawn of a new year offers everyone the opportunity to look forward.

It's also imperative to do some looking back, though, because some of the best lessons in life are learned through making mistakes.

Everyone has things they did in 2024 that they regret—NBA teams included. So, with the calendar shifting to 2025, let's revisit the biggest regret each franchise has from the last 12 months.

Atlanta Hawks: Not Identifying a More Definitive Direction

When the Hawks shipped out Dejounte Murray in July, they clearly had an eye on the future. All key components of their return package were future-focused, whether that was the 2025 and 2027 first-round picks they added or 21-year-old chaos-creator Dyson Daniels.

And yet, it's hard to say Atlanta is fully focused on looking ahead when Trae Young still pilots this attack, Clint Capela remains in the starting lineup and the bench mob follows the lead of De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović.

The Hawks have enough established talent to remain firmly in the hunt for a top-six seed in the East, but not nearly enough to consider themselves championship-contenders.

In other words, they are continuing to put mileage on the treadmill of mediocrity. In their defense, they don't have an obvious way out, since tanking is off the table with the San Antonio Spurs controlling their next three first-round picks, but there still isn't a positive way to spin being effectively—and perpetually—stuck in the middle.

Boston Celtics: Not Keeping Lonnie Walker IV

The Boston Celtics hold no major regrets, considering they won last season's title and remain in the thick of this season's chase.

Still, even the champs have some minor second-guessing to do, particularly in the case of potential sparkplug Lonnie Walker IV.

The scoring guard had a strong showing in the preseason, but it wasn't enough to convince the Shamrocks that rostering him was worth the luxury-tax hit that would have come with it. They could have made other cost-cutting moves to help cushion the blow, but they opted to keep their group intact and saw Walker take his talents overseas.

Boston's bench has lacked scoring punch ever since, and while it could still look in the direction of Walker, who can be bought out of his contract until Feb. 18, the guard "is drawing interest from a number of NBA teams," per insider Marc Stein.

So, it's very possible the Celtics will not only miss out on the 26-year-old, but they could also see him join one of their direct competitors.

Brooklyn Nets: Delaying Their Dismantling

A tandem of late-June trades made the Brooklyn Nets' intentions of a top-to-bottom reset transparent.

By converting their best player, Mikal Bridges, into a bushel of draft picks and then using previously collected picks to regain control of their 2025 and 2026 first-rounders, they positioned themselves to be among the front-runners of this season's tank-off.

Despite having a host of plug-and-play veterans to shop around, though, Brooklyn waited months to make more trades. And it's hard to say it was greatly rewarded for its patience since the December sacrifices of Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith didn't deliver a single first-round pick in return.

Brooklyn, which opened the year with a 9-10 mark, also proved more competitive than expected, which might sound like a good thing—it's at least an encouraging sign for first-year skipper Jordi Fernández—but it just put this group farther behind in the tankathon.

If the Nets don't strike lottery gold next summer and instead see the likes of Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey transform other teams, they'll regret not accelerating their teardown.

Charlotte Hornets: Bringing Back Miles Bridges

Back in June, Hornets governor Gabe Plotkin highlighted the four players he saw as comprising the club's "core nucleus": LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and whomever the team selected at No. 6 (a pick later spent on Tidjane Salaün).

Roughly one month later, the team gave swingman Miles Bridges nucleus-level money to stick around with a three-year, $75 million deal. That felt aggressive for someone with a very uncertain free-agency market, given the fact that he missed the entire 2022-23 season following a no-contest plea for felony domestic abuse.

The 26-year-old had other suitors at least, but perhaps they were only interested in low-ball offers given his legal trouble.

If offered a mulligan, this is probably a decision the Hornets would like to revisit, either to let Bridges walk or at least sign him to more team-friendly terms. His numbers have dipped in quality and quantity, and he's commanding a big chunk of touches (third-most shots on the team) that would, arguably, be better spent on developmental chances for younger players who might have a longer future with this franchise.

Chicago Bulls: Overpaying Patrick Williams

There is, as per usual, plenty to second-guess with this front office.

Getting back only Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso already feels like a wasted opportunity given the kind of draft-pick currency the dogged defender could have commanded.

And while keeping Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević around may have helped rehab some of their trade appeal, their prominent roles in the offense, coupled with the extra playmakers in this attack, might be the reason why Coby White has disappointed amid yet another role change.

All of that said, it's still tough to square the logic behind giving Patrick Williams a five-year, $90 million pact this offseason. Did they feel pot-committed to his development for taking him fourth overall in 2020? Were they still clinging to hopes of those old Kawhi Leonard 2.0 comparisons finally coming to fruition? Was there some belief that a rival suitor also had a near-nine-figure offer on the table?

Who knows, but for whatever reason, the Bulls watched the 23-year-old play for four seasons and then paid him to be something greater. Turns out, he's still the same player (shocker, right?), and it sounds as if Chicago has finally accepted this reality—only the realization came a handful of months and $90 million later than necessary.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Failing to Answer Small Forward Question

Props to the Cleveland Cavaliers for remaining committed to their core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen and believing new coach Kenny Atkinson could get more out of this group than his predecessor.

Cleveland still needs to keep this up, but things are all good in the land of wine and gold.

Well, they're almost all good. The pesky small forward spot that's been a problem position since Mitchell's arrival remains this team's biggest question mark. The Cavs have places to turn at this position for shooting, defense or shot-creation, but they still lack the ideal option who would check both of those first two boxes.

They could be on the prowl for that player over the next month-plus, as scouts have identified them as being "likely to emerge as a team on the hunt for wing help," per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.

Ideally, this is something Cleveland would have addressed by now, and it could be harder to manage given the limited availability of three-and-D wings.

Dallas Mavericks: Not Getting More Value from Jaden Hardy

The Dallas Mavericks saw enough from Jaden Hardy over his first two NBA seasons to grant him a three-year, $18 million extension ahead of his third. But it feels a bit like they haven't known how to handle him since.

The 22-year-old is playing slightly more than last season, but shooting less than ever. It appears he might be a rhythm player, too, as his career-low usage percentage has been accompanied by the fewest points, assists and worst shooting rates of his career, not to mention a spike in turnovers.

Hardy could, in theory, be an asset for this team, an off-the-bench flamethrower who keeps things moving when Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić need a breather. Instead, he's been pushed to the fringes of the rotation and could be losing his appeal as a trade sweetener quickly.

Denver Nuggets: Losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Nothing

The Denver Nuggets, arguably, have the planet's best player in Nikola Jokić, and that arguably qualifier probably isn't necessary.

The three-time MVP happens to be firmly in the prime of his career, too, which one might assume would motivate to Denver to do everything in its power to put the best possible roster around him.

There's no way to argue that's what happened this offseason. That's when the Nuggets let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a starter who logged the third-most minutes on their 2022-23 title team, exit to sign a three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic.

From Denver's side, this was subtraction-by-subtraction, as the Nuggets counted on their internal options to fill the void.

Denver has missed Caldwell-Pope's presence on the defensive perimeter and his volume shooting, and while Christian Braun has perked up as a starter, the Nuggets have not found a replacement for his energy and activity off the bench.

This is an objectively worse roster than last season, which feels like management malpractice with Jokić now potentially lacking the support needed to add to his ring collection.

Detroit Pistons: Paying a Premium for Tobias Harris

Given the universal praise perpetually heaped on the 2025 draft class, the Detroit Pistons picked a peculiar time to try to get out of the rebuilding game.

Granted, their previous misfortunes highlighted how a mountain of losses doesn't guarantee a draft-lottery jackpot, but still, it's not like the upcoming talent grab is seen as a one- or two-player class.

That's not the biggest issue with Detroit giving Tobias Harris a two-year, $52 million deal, though. As a 30-something scoring specialist who does the bulk of his damage inside the three-point arc, he couldn't have held enormous market appeal. There weren't many teams with significant money to spend, and most of the few that had it weren't in the business of chasing victories.

So, the salary felt a bit bloated already, and that's before seeing Harris taking a seemingly sizable step back this season. His playing time is close to where it normally lands, but his scoring is way down, and his shooting rates are among the worst in his career.

Spending this kind of coin for someone to potentially push a team into play-in contention is pretty depressing to begin with, but it's a massive regret when the anticipated floor-raising doesn't even materialize.

Golden State Warriors: Not Getting Stephen Curry a Co-Star

The Golden State Warriors poked around about a LeBron James trade at the last deadline. They followed up with an offseason pursuit of both Lauri Markkanen and Paul George.

All three efforts came up empty, leaving Stephen Curry, an all-time great still near the peak of his powers, spending at least the first half of his age-36 season without a legitimate co-star.

"We're sitting about as good as we could, subject to the point that we didn't catch the big fish that we were going after," Warriors governor Joe Lacob told The Athletic's Anthony Slater. "But that doesn't mean we won't. It just means we didn't yet."

Theoretically, Golden State could fill this void at any time, but it's unclear where this team should even look for that caliber of player, let alone figure out all the particulars for such a blockbuster deal.

There might be a magic element to Curry's game, but even he can't wave a wand and transform this team into a contender on his own.

Houston Rockets: Running Short on Shooters

The Houston Rockets have assembled one of the Association's deepest rosters with havoc-wreakers on the defensive end, explosive athletes all over the roster and a slew of skilled—albeit streaky—scorers and shot-creators.

And, scary as this sounds for non-Space City residents, they're also overloaded with assets that could allow them to add more.

The one thing they don't have, though, is shooting. Of any kind. This is a bottom-third shooting team from all three levels. And it's not like the Rockets compensate for a lack of quality with quantity, since they're bottom-third in three-point attempts, too.

You wonder then if this might loom as a fatal flaw until corrected. It would be a shame if it did, since this club otherwise looks ready to compete for the NBA crown.

Indiana Pacers: Thinking Too Long-Term at the Draft

When the Indiana Pacers parted with three first-round picks to add Pascal Siakam in January, it seemed the franchise was fully focused on the present. So why didn't it follow that same mindset on draft night?

Granted, the odds of finding a plug-and-play contributor with any of its three second-round picks weren't great. It was still doable, though, as players like Ajay Mitchell and Jaylen Wells—both still on the board when the Pacers made their first selection—have proved.

They really didn't even attempt to go that route, though, instead trading up a spot to stop Johnny Furphy's slide and bet on his potential.

However, the 20-year-old, who barely started half of his games during his lone season at Kansas, has been predictably slow out of the gate and may not be ready for regular rotation minutes any time soon.

Los Angeles Clippers: Getting Nothing for Paul George

It's admittedly hard to imagine the Los Angeles Clippers are feeling any kind of non-buyer's remorse given how rocky things have gone for Paul George so far with the Philadelphia 76ers. They could easily have some regrets about letting him leave for nothing, though,

The Clippers had sign-and-trade talks with the Warriors and in "the most likely scenario" would have walked away from the exchange with Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Moses Moody and a first-round pick, per The Athletic's Sam Amick.

That's a starting-caliber two-way wing, an expert decision-maker, a young wing with three-and-D potential and a first-round pick to go shopping for more.

L.A. declined, per Amick, because it wanted to avoid the second apron, and while the restrictions attached to that are real concerns, the Clippers could have reasonably considered themselves still in the championship race.

It's hard to hold that same expectation now, even with Kawhi Leonard finally nearing his debut. They might be decent, but they had the opportunity to be more.

Los Angeles Lakers: Not Addressing the Supporting Cast Sooner

The Los Angeles Lakers may not have admitted it publicly, but they had to know they weren't carrying a championship-caliber roster into this campaign. They were a play-in participant and first-round fodder this past season.

Even the most optimistic projections for rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James and new coach JJ Redick didn't paint them as transformational additions.

So, couldn't this front office have been even more proactive about searching for upgrades? It's not as if issues with D'Angelo Russell's fit, frontcourt depth and a general shortage of two-way talent came out of nowhere.

The recent Dorian Finney-Smith deal was a solid step in the right direction (at a seemingly excellent price), but the Lakers (8-9 since their 10-4 start) are trying to make up for lost time.

If they wind up with a perilous playoff path due to their inability to sustain their hot start, they'll kick themselves for not acting with more urgency sooner.

Memphis Grizzlies: Getting Greedy in Trade Talks

Fueled by the return of Ja Morant and arrival of Zach Edey, the Memphis Grizzlies have regained their place among the Western Conference elites.

Despite nailing their second-round selection on Jaylen Wells, though, they're still in the market for two-way upgrades at the forward spots.

They almost had one fall in their lap, too. Before the Lakers swooped in and snatched Dorian Finney-Smith, the Grizzlies were in "active discussions" to pick him up, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Memphis apparently pushed too hard, though, as Brooklyn declined the offer when the Grizzlies "wanted Brooklyn's 2025 second-round pick and offered top-10 protection on the first-rounder," per ESPN's Kevin Pelton.

Memphis is obviously free to negotiate as it pleases, but it clearly asked for more than the Nets would concede and lost out on Finney-Smith as a result.

Maybe the team still sniffs out a three-and-D swingman elsewhere, but given how infrequently they become available, Memphis may not get another crack at addressing this premier position.

Miami Heat: Calling Out Jimmy Butler

Contract negotiations often have a way of getting uncomfortable. So, that's not unique to the ongoing situation between Jimmy Butler, who has a $52 million player option for next season, and the Heat.

What stands out here is Miami's apparent insistence on making this as uncomfortable as possible.

Heat president Pat Riley publicly admonished Butler in May, which caught the 35-year-old "off guard," per Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. He now "prefers a trade out of Miami," per ESPN's Shams Charania, although Riley released a statement saying a trade isn't happening.

It's a truly baffling situation, and while the Heat may have reasons for being hesitant about paying Butler big money long-term, they haven't helped themselves by handling it this way.

It's hard to tell what would constitute fair market value for Butler, who's had major availability issues but also produced some of the best postseason performances in recent memory, but all of this static makes it likely Miami will only receive low-ball offers between now and the deadline.

Milwaukee Bucks: Chasing Upside at the Draft

The Milwaukee Bucks hit the 2024 draft with the Nos. 23 and 33 picks in hand. They needed an injection of youth and athleticism, but their aging, top-heavy roster also needed newcomers who could play right away.

So why didn't Milwaukee even attempt to find them? Its first pick, AJ Johnson, may have been used on the rawest prospect in the draft. Its second, Tyler Smith, only offered slightly more seasoning with serious developmental work needed on the defensive end.

In essence, the Bucks, who might be on the league's most extreme championship-or-bust timeline, valued tomorrow over today.

Predictably, neither prospect has worked his way into the rotation and probably won't this season, continuing a recent pattern of Milwaukee's draft picks yielding little to no assistance for this veteran core.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Trading Karl-Anthony Towns

Everything felt possible a few months ago in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves had just made their second-ever appearance in the Western Conference finals and had every reason to believe they'd be jostling with the NBA's elite again this time around.

But their last-minute, financially motivated move to send out Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick may have changed everything. It stripped away the team's second offensive option and robbed it of the frontcourt floor-spacing for Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert.

The Wolves have been worse on both ends and could wind up falling from the conference finals to the play-in tournament.

Minnesota's financial situation may have been untenable, but it often costs a fortune to contend, and the Timberwolves appeared on track to do exactly that. Now, it's tough to tell when they'll rejoin the championship chase.

New Orleans Pelicans: Never Realizing What They Had in Dyson Daniels

The New Orleans Pelicans knew they had an asset in Dyson Daniels. At least, they recognized he held enough sway to serve as a sweetener in their July deal for Dejounte Murray.

What New Orleans couldn't have known, though, was that it had just given up the most disruptive defender in the league. Daniels has also upped his offensive production plenty in Atlanta, but his defense is truly exquisite.

The 2022 No. 8 overall pick is on course to become the first rotation regular to post at least a 4.0 steal percentage and a 2.5 block percentage. He leads the league in deflections by an absurd amount and holds a 96th percentile ranking in defensive estimated plus/minus, per Dunks & Threes.

This is where it's probably worth mentioning Daniels won't turn 22 until March. The Pelicans clearly didn't get enough from him as a trade asset.

New York Knicks: Forgetting They're All-In During the Draft

During this offseason, the New York Knicks gave up five first-round picks to get Mikal Bridges, committed $212.5 million to OG Anunoby and flipped Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Approaches don't get any more all-in than that.

So, why did they deviate from that strategy at the draft? They entered with two first-round picks (Nos. 24 and 25), traded one away and spent the other on a long-term-project prospect in Pacome Dadiet, who could be years away from logging significant minutes on a good team.

There were plug-and-play options on the board—Ryan Dunn waves hello—but New York bet big on upside. That's fine in a vacuum, but it's not as great when it was the one deviation from the win-right-now principle that guided the rest of the Knicks' offseason.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Being Too Patient with Their 1st Pick

Admittedly, the Oklahoma City Thunder forced us to split hairs here.

There simply isn't much to look back on with any kind of regret from a 2024 when they climbed the NBA ladder, somehow turned Josh Giddey into Alex Caruso, attacked their biggest weakness by winning the Isaiah Hartenstein sweepstakes and found actual ways to improve what was already a 57-win team.

It's possible that turning the No. 12 pick into Nikola Topić could prove a stroke of genius. He was widely regarded as a top-five prospect in this class before suffering a partially torn ACL. He's a 6'6" lead guard who constantly pressures opposing defenses off the dribble. His upside is enormous.

At the same time, Oklahoma City could have used the pick on someone who could contribute right away. And for as deep as this roster is, there are still ways in which a rookie scorer or shooter could have stepped into a rotation role.

Orlando Magic: Not Adding a Perimeter Scorer

On the rare occasion in which the Orlando Magic are granted a clean bill of health, they look ready to make a deep playoff run. Or rather, they have the defense, star power and depth to get the job done.

There are still plenty of questions with this offense, though, and the offseason did little to address them. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a capable shooter, but he is most impactful for his on-ball defense. Rookie first-rounder Tristan da Silva is solid from range, but he holds most appeal for being a do-it-all dot-connector.

The Magic still need more spacers to let this offense breathe. And since they are—again, when healthy—stacked at the forward and center spots, that spacing would ideally come from a shot-creating perimeter player.

That's why every available scoring guard gets fake trade-linked to Orlando, but the front office could have helped this group by bringing in a real one by now.

Philadelphia 76ers: Not Re-Signing or Replacing Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield's partial-season stint with the Sixers was largely uneventful. By the end of it, he was struggling to stick on the fringes of his rotation.

Still, you could see the vision behind bringing the 32-year-old on board.

With a pair of star-level mismatches leading the offense in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Hield's movement shooting felt like the perfect way to maintain optimal spacing around the stars. And it was for the little time they spent together, as the trio posted a ridiculous 130.8 offensive rating across their 18 shared playoff minutes.

Since Hield isn't ball-dominant by any stretch, he would have fit just the same with Paul George, turning the dynamic duo into a three-headed monster.

Yet, Philly sign-and-traded Hield to Golden State and didn't really try to replace him outside of rookie Jared McCain, who has enough handles to have also fit alongside Hield.

Phoenix Suns: Ignoring Reality

It's easy to get caught up in the Phoenix Suns' star power and carried away with what that might make possible. Doing so, of course, ignores the reality that all they have to show for the most expensive roster in NBA history is last season's first-round sweep and this season's sub-.500 start.

Some will want to blame injuries, as if they don't impact other teams and weren't an enormous concern when the Suns opted to surround Devin Booker with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

Others will cling to the false reality that this is still salvageable, as if there aren't fundamental flaws with the makeup of this roster and a dearth of trade assets to correct them.

The Suns swear they are in an enviable spot and say it with such conviction that they almost make you want to believe. The results speak for themselves, though, and they resoundingly agree that it isn't happening for this core, and some degree of selling and asset stockpiling is the only viable strategy going forward.

The longer Phoenix waits to make this call, the harder that project becomes.

Portland Trail Blazers: Overvaluing Jerami Grant

Damian Lillard has been out of Portland for over a year now, but the Blazers' rebuild still feels rather new. That's in part because the front office has stopped well short of demolishing this roster.

The fact that Jerami Grant is still around to play one of the most prominent roles in the offense and bog down the financial books with his $29.7 million salary shows much long-term work remains to be done.

Portland could have been farther ahead with this rebuild had it been more realistic with its trade requests, though. Teams have considered giving up a first-round pick to get the 30-year-old, but "Portland has been unwilling to trade Grant without two first-round picks in return," per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

That feels ambitious, especially in a trade market in which Dorian Finney-Smith didn't deliver a single first and, per NBA insider Marc Stein, players like Jonas Valančiūnas, Bruce Brown and Jordan Clarkson could be had for second-rounders, too.

Grant holds more value and could deliver a first, but Portland will never know that if it keeps insisting he's worth a pair.

Sacramento Kings: Extending Mike Brown

To be clear, this is not at all intended to be any kind of criticism against former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown. It's not even a commentary on whether or not he should have been fired.

Rather, it's a simple observation that there are better, less regrettable ways of doing business than giving someone a pay raise and a contract extension only to sack them six months later.

Clearly, Sacramento expected more from this season, but how did the Kings' decision-makers see Brown's role within those expectations?

If the 54-year-old wasn't viewed as a major reason why expectations were up, then why give him the new contract? And if he was part of the hype, then why not give him more time to figure this out?

It's just another head-scratcher from an organization that has served up more than its fair share.

San Antonio Spurs: Not Giving Wemby More Help

The Spurs essentially treated the 2024-25 season as a test run.

They didn't make dramatic changes to their roster, but they did give Victor Wembanyama a high-end running mate (No. 4 pick Stephon Castle) and a couple of established veterans (Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes).

Considering those relatively minor moves, coupled with Wemby's ongoing development, were enough to transform San Antonio from a cellar-dweller to a play-in contender, the Spurs have to be wondering what else could have happened had they pushed a little harder.

They certainly had—and, to be clear, still have—the roster resources needed to make more significant splashes. If the worry was this club wasn't ready to compete at a high level, then that was an undersell of how special the big fella already is. They clearly weren't fans of Trae Young, but even a second-tier star like him could have gotten this group up and running.

Toronto Raptors: Not Finding a Bruce Brown Deal at 2024 Deadline

Back in January, Toronto added Bruce Brown as part of its return from the Indiana Pacers for Pascal Siakam.

With the Raptors clearly headed down the rebuilding path, it seemed Brown's stay north of the border could be a short one, as he was a candidate to be flipped again by that trade deadline.

Once the deadline came, though, the 28-year-old's only involvement was a report about how he wasn't going anywhere. The Raptors "declined offers of multiple second-round picks" for him, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, presumably in hopes of better offers arriving later.

Well, it's later now, and those offers aren't coming.

Brown only recently debuted following arthroscopic knee surgery and almost certainly doesn't have enough time to convince suitors he's worth more than a cheap flier. he was among the players NBA insider Marc Stein listed as "believed to be available for second-round draft compensation."

Utah Jazz: Selling Low on Ochai Agbaji

The Utah Jazz valued Ochai Agbaji enough to make him part of their return from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022 Donovan Mitchell megadeal.

They wound up giving him a season-plus to prove his worth before cutting bait at the 2024 deadline and shipping Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk to Toronto for Kira Lewis Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and a 2024 first-round pick later spent on Isaiah Collier.

Utah better hope Collier has some serious development ahead of him, otherwise that's going to look like a pretty pitiful return. A healthy Olynyk is either a walking trade chip or a helpful part of any frontcourt rotation, and Agbaji is really popping as an all-purpose wing defender with athleticism and a soft touch from three.

He appears, in other words, as an under-25 three-and-D wing. You might have a better chance of spotting Bigfoot than you would finding that archetype at that age on the trade market.

Washington Wizards: Letting Kyle Kuzma Dictate Their 2024 Deadline

The Washington Wizards had a deal in place to send Kyle Kuzma to the Dallas Mavericks at last season's trade deadline.

For whatever reason, though, they sought out Kuzma's opinion on it. And when the 29-year-old decided he didn't want the deal, the Wizards didn't either.

Maybe Washington was used to operating in this manner because it was buried beneath Bradley Beal's no-trade clause before, but the Wizards didn't need to do this.

Given a chance for a do-over, they almost certainly would do things differently. Kuzma's trade market isn't in great shape, and there's no reason to believe that will change between now and February. Adding insult to...well, insult, he's even onboard with the idea of relocating to Dallas now.

He's had trouble staying on the court this season, and even when he has, his shooting rates have tumbled, his defense has been inconsistent and his offensive efficiency has eroded.

Kuzma's trade cost can't be as high as it was this time last year, and the Wizards must be fuming that they didn't capitalize on that when they had the chance.