Arguably the most surprising trade that was completed ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline was between the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards. The Mavericks agreed to trade Kristaps Porzingis and a protected 2022 second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
There were high hopes for the pairing of Porzingis and Luka Doncic, but things didn’t pan out as they had hoped. A lot of the same issues that plagued Porzingis during his time with the New York Knicks popped up again with the Mavericks.
He has battled numerous injuries in Dallas, which is the thing that is holding him back the most. When he has been on the court, he has still been productive. This season he is averaging 19.2 points per game, but his 3-point shot has disappeared as he is making only 28.3 percent of his attempts from distance.
For the third consecutive season, he has seen his scoring average drop. His rebounds are down for a second consecutive season as well, and the Dallas Mavericks figured it was time to move on if the opportunity presented itself.
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This is a deal that will certainly be talked about for years to come. Dallas didn’t get any salary relief, as Bertans is under contract through 2025, while Porzingis’s deal ends in 2024. Bertans, like Dinwiddie, has been unproductive on the court this season as well.
The Mavericks are certainly hoping they can regain their form with a change of scenery because neither player has the ceiling that Porzingis does. But, in their first game following the Porzingis deal, Luka Doncic put on a show, scoring 51 points and helping the team to a victory over the LA Clippers.
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Following the game, Doncic touched on the big NBA trade deadline move. It was a surprising one, but he is ready to embrace his new teammates and continue building toward a championship.
“We were building something great here,” he said. “It didn’t obviously work out. I wish him the best, and we’ve got two new guys who are welcome.”
Certainly seems like there is no love lost for Kristaps Porzingis, someone that never seemed to really click with Doncic. But, he is in a pretty good landing spot with the Wizards as he could be the second option behind Bradley Beal. For the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic is still the unquestioned go-to option and they will look to keep building up the roster around him after the Porzingis deal didn’t pan out.
