The Dallas Mavericks hit the reset button on their acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline. When they acquired him from the New York Knicks in 2019, many people thought the Mavericks had fleeced them and would have the next great duo in the NBA.
Fast forward to this season and things did not go according to plan. Porzingis’ issues that plagued him in New York followed him to Dallas. He was unable to sustain good health, which limited how much of an impact he could have on the court.
Looking to move on from the situation, the Mavericks traded him to the Washington Wizards ahead of the deadline. In exchange for him and a second-round pick, the Mavericks received Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
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Making an appearance on The Lowe Post podcast, Tim McMahon explained some of the Mavericks’ thinking behind making that deal with Wizards.
“So the Washington thing came together, and the Mavericks said, ‘hey, financially it’s. wash but it’s two smaller contracts that will be easier to move,’ and they felt like Porzingis was kind of in the way, and they felt those two guys could build roles off the bench, so they pulled the trigger.”
On the same podcast, McMahon revealed that the deal with the Wizards wasn’t the first one that Dallas was pursuing. Instead, they wanted to make a deal with the Toronto Raptors.
It has been no secret that the Dallas Mavericks have wanted to bring Goran Dragic aboard since the Miami Heat traded him as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade deal. In addition to Dragic, the Mavericks wanted to acquire Gary Trent Jr. from the Raptors as well. As you would expect, Toronto declined that deal.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Scores, Highlights & Takeaways From March 3rd Slate
“(The Mavericks) moved on, and they tried to trade (Kristaps Porzingis) to Toronto. My understanding is the discussions there were (Goran Dragic) and (Gary Trent Jr.). Toronto understandably said, ‘we’re not giving up Gary Trent Jr.’
That deal the Mavericks pursued with the Raptors would have helped bolster their backcourt and wing as Tim Hardaway Jr. is sidelined following surgery. The deal with the Wizards helped achieve that with the acquisition of Dinwiddie while also filling Kristaps Porzingis’ spot in the frontcourt with Bertans.
It isn’t a surprise that the Toronto Raptors turned down that deal. They were in search of another big man ahead of the deadline, but Porzingis’s injury history and sometimes unwillingness to play the center spot was likely a turnoff.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Scores, Highlights & Takeaways From March 3rd Slate
The Dallas Mavericks seem happy about the deal they made with the Wizards, who have a similar feeling as well. Kristaps Porzingis is high-risk, but can also provide a big reward should he get healthy and stay on the court with All-Star upside.
