3. Washington Wizards Take A Unicorn Flier
There were a lot of deals completed leading up to the deadline, but arguably the most surprising one was completed between the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks.
The Wizards are taking a shot on oft-injured big man Kristaps Porzingis, but they unloaded just as much salary and got a protected second-round pick in 2022 along with him.
This is a big win for the Wizards, who were dealt a tough blow earlier in the week when it was revealed that Bradley Beal will have to undergo surgery.
That could put an end to their pursuit of a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference, but acquiring talent such as Porzingis could still give them a chance.
LATEST NBA NEWS & BUYOUT RUMORS: Key Takeaways From Wild NBA Trade Deadline Action
If healthy, and that is a huge if, Porzingis has a skillset rivaled by very few in the NBA. He is 7’3” but has a sweet shooting stroke offensively. He isn’t the lightest on his feet, making for some issues defensively, but he is a legitimate rim protector with his length.
If the Wizards can convince Beal to remain in Washington long-term, they have an intriguing trio with Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis to build the roster up around as they didn’t trade any of their recent first-round draft picks either. This could be a dangerous team come the 2022-23 season.
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Moving off of the contracts of Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans to get this deal done is an even bigger win.
Dinwiddie has played poorly this season, as it was reported that his teammates didn’t even want him on the team anymore. Bertans has seen his production crater since he signed a five-year deal in free agency in 2020 and doesn’t offer near the upside Porzingis does.
