Dallas Mavericks won the Kristaps Porzingis trade

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis from New York Knicks on Jan 31, 2019. Success has followed. Here is a look back at that trade.

The Dallas Mavericks made a franchise-altering trade in the middle of last season. They agreed to send Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, DeAndre Jordan, and two future first round picks to the New York Knicks for Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke.

It was a massive shift in their current roster. DSJ, Matthews, and Jordan were all starting for the Mavs before the trade. Porzingis was not healthy enough to play. The Mavericks also traded away Harrison Barnes in a separate deal leaving just Luka Doncic as the only remaining starter in Texas.

The move marked a clear acceleration of the rebuilding process in Dallas and was largely a salary dump move for New York in hopes of acquiring big-name free agents in the upcoming summer. Well, the Knicks did not land any, but the Mavericks certainly took the next step as a team.

Dallas finished last season with a 33-49 record. It put them in the lottery for the third straight year. This season, the Mavericks are 33-22 with 27 games remaining. They are all, but a playoff lock at this point sitting in seventh place in the conference with an 8.5 game lead on the ninth place Portland Trail Blazers.

By all accounts, the trade has been an overwhelming success for Dallas thus far. Let us take a look at the details to further determine why the Dallas Mavericks won the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Next: THJ boost

The THJ Boost

Tim Hardaway Jr’s stock had reached an absolute low point at the time of the trade last season. Teams wouldn’t touch him with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole. Yes, I just made a Christmas song reference in February. No, you cannot stop me.

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Hardaway Jr. was producing in New York. He averaged 19.1 points in 32.6 minutes per game at the time of the trade. THJ was owed $18.15 million for this season and has a player option in the summer of 2020 for $18.975 million. The Knicks wanted free of that obligation.

So how does Hardaway Jr. respond? He has the best season of his career and becomes an integral part of the Mavs’ success. His outside shooting and secondary playmaking next to Luka has been absolutely paramount. He is one of the key pieces that have elevated this team from lottery-bound to playoff contender.

It’s amazing what getting out of New York can do for careers huh? It’s also astonishing what buying into Rick Carlisle‘s system will do for you. Just ask J.J. Barea, Dwight Powell, Monta Ellis, Al-Farouq Aminu and okay, I’m gonna stop here before I get carpal tunnel.

At the time of the trade, Hardaway Jr. was seen as a tax for getting Porzingis. Now he’s a clear plus as the Mavericks third scorer and every night starter on a playoff-bound team.

Next: Two firsts and DSJ

The two firsts and Dennis Smith Jr.

The majority of media felt Dallas won the trade the minute it went down. However, there was a sect that argued the Mavericks gave up too much for an injury-prone big even one as talented as Porzingis. Many pointed to the picks and Smith Jr.

It’s safe to say that Dallas took a good risk at this point. The Dallas Mavericks are already a dangerous playoff team. They will only improve as their young core gains experience and builds chemistry together.

The two first round picks will happen in 2021 and 2023. Draft selections are always important to have for any team. Getting players on cost-controlled contracts is key to building a winning roster.

That being said, those selections will likely land in the mid-to-late 20s when they convey. A small price to pay for a player who has the ability to make multiple All-Star games in the future and another who is arguably the third-best player on the team.

As for DSJ, the poor guy’s play has taken a nosedive in New York. He has been one of the worst players in the NBA this year, and his long-term potential has come into question. Hopefully things turnaround, but Dallas struck gold trading him when they did because he still had positive trade value.

Next: Luka and KP chemistry

Doncic and Porzingis Chemistry

A lot has been made about how well Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis co-exist on the court together. Some point to stretches where the team has struggled to get Porzingis involved in the offense. Others are quick to highlight Porzingis’ jump in production when Doncic is unable to suit up. The Unicorn averages 21.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game without Luka.

Here is something to think about, though. Luka and Kristaps have only played together in 33 of a possible 55 games so far. The Mavs are 21-12 in those games which is a 52.2 win pace over a full season. In games they have not played together, the Mavericks are 12-10 which is a 44.7 win pace.

Since Dec. 16, Luka and KP have only appeared in nine out of a possible 30 games together. The team went only 16-14 over that stretch. It’s plain to see that the team is significantly better with their two best players on the court together.

As to the on-court chemistry concerns.

One, these things are overblown in general. The winning illustrates this.

Two, they have still only played 33 games together. Two stars sharing the court together will almost always take time to gel.

Three, Most of the games they played with each other were early in the season. Porzingis was coming off of a major injury that left him sidelined from organized basketball for 20 months. He and Coach Carlisle were still nailing down what his exact role on offense would be.

In conclusion, don’t worry your pretty little heads about it.

Next: Can KP stay healthy?

Can Porzingis Stay Healthy?

This is the million-dollar question. Angry Knicks fans yelling into the void about how he will inevitably have another season-ending injury do not know what will happen. Neither do optimistic Dallas Mavericks fans who point to maybe the NBA’s best medical staff and say those days are behind him.

The truth is everyone will just have to wait and see. Dallas took a risk by offering Porzingis a fully guaranteed max contract with no injury protections in the deal. They had to do it to keep him long-term. KP is now under contract until 2023 when he has a player option for the final season of his deal at $36.02 million.

Porzingis has missed 13 of 55 games this season. Three of those games were for rest on the second night of back-to-backs. He also missed ten straight because of knee soreness in January.

The future of the Dallas Mavericks could be tied to Porzingis’ ceiling next to Doncic which is directly connected to his health. One thing is for certain. When Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are both on the floor, Dallas can hang with anybody. The pairing should only improve too which is a scary thought for the rest of the league.