Dallas Mavericks: Analyzing the blockbuster Kristaps Porzingis trade

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Dallas Mavericks Kristaps Porzingis (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Future of Kristaps

Kristaps Porzingis is a restricted free agent this summer, however he has reportedly informed the Mavericks of his intentions to sign the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2020.

While that leaves the door open for him to leave the Mavs in 2020, it does ensure that the Mavericks will have a healthy Porzingis next season next to Luka Doncic.

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THJ’s place in the deal

The Mavs are also acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke, and Courtney Lee from the Knicks.

Hardaway Jr. being traded away from New York was likely one of the pieces of the deal that helped push it into a spot where the Knicks felt they were receiving the most value. Hardaway Jr. is on a large, bloated contract. Hardaway signed a four-year $71 million contract in July of 2017.

He is grossly overpaid and the Mavericks will have to eat that money for another two seasons.

Hardaway Jr. is rare in that despite his over market-value contract, he can still be helpful on the court for Dallas. Most players who are on a contract as large as Hardaway’s even when he is not worth it is a prime chip for teams to try and trade away. Any player who averages 19 points per game and is just 26 years old has value in the NBA. The Mavericks will likely keep Hardaway Jr. as a rotation piece going into the future.