Kristaps Porzingis – Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks saw an unfortunate first-round exit to the Los Angeles Clippers after leading this series 2-0 and 3-2 at different points, which is why they will have a ton of questions to answer in the offseason, starting with the future of Kristaps Porzingis. Dallas added Porzingis in 2019 in what was thought to be a huge trade for the future of their franchise, but things have not gone the way they had imagined.
Ultimately, this trade has worked out for the Mavericks, but not because of Kristaps Porzingis. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the focal point of this trade for the Mavs and he has been an excellent #2 option next to Luka Doncic in their offense.
With him being a free agent this offseason, it is expected that Dallas will do everything they can to retain him, which could result in them offering him a $20M+ per year contract, but again, what does the future hold for Porzingis?
Well, the Mavericks do still believe that he and Doncic can be a great “one-two punch” moving forward, but they are still going to advertise Porzingis this offseason as a potential trade asset. The only problem with doing so is that he is owed $101.5M over the next three years, which is not ideal for any team in a trade scenario.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: This Mavericks-Nets trade features Kristaps Porzingis to Brooklyn
Kristaps Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and shot 47.6% from the floor during the regular season, which is the kind of production Dallas needs from him, but when it mattered most in the playoffs, the Latvian big man disappeared and was a non-factor. He averaged just 13.1 points per game against Los Angeles in the postseason and shot under 30% from deep.
Standing 7’3”, Porzingis should be able to tower over his opponents in the paint and be almost impossible to stop, but instead of playing like a 7’3” big man, he played like a 5’11” guard out on the perimeter, jacking up three-point attempts any chance he gets.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: This Mavericks-Pelicans trade pairs Kristaps Porzingis, Zion Williamson
This is why a rift has formed between Porzingis and Doncic and why the former 4th overall pick could be on the move sooner than later. This is Luka’s team and the Mavericks are going to do everything they can to surround him with the best talent possible. Initially, this seemed to mean Porzingis, but now, he has seemed to play himself out of the future picture for Dallas.