In a deal that came out of nowhere, the Dallas Mavericks have acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks.
First reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, the trade will send Porzingis, along with Courtney Lee, and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Mavericks. The Knicks will acquire Deandre Jordan, Wesley Matthew, Dennis Smith Jr., and a draft pick in return.
This deal comes as a huge surprise. While acquiring a young, talented point guard in Smith Jr., the Knicks just traded away their biggest asset in Porzingis. Shortly before the deal was announced, ESPN reported that the Latvian big man was growing frustrated with the organization.
Porzingis is still coming off an ACL injury that has sidelined him since February of 2018. The Mavs front office decided acquiring him would be worth it anyway.
After being booed on draft night, Porzingis proved Knicks fans wrong, averaging nearly 18 points and seven rebounds in two and a half seasons. Since being injured, many NBA fans may have forgotten how good Porzingis is.
The deal pairs Porzingis with rising star Luka Doncic, who is playing fantastic basketball for Dallas, and is the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. A young core of these two players gives the Mavericks a very bright future.
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