Dallas Mavericks trade Kristaps Porzingis to Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie

The Dallas Mavericks promised to be active and aggressive ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, and they pulled off a blockbuster on Thursday afternoon when they shipped Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards. The Mavs received Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans in return, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Dallas reportedly sent a second-round pick back to Washington.

The Mavs cleared Kristaps Porzingis’ contract as it became clear he was not the second star they envisioned when they acquired him from the Knicks in 2019. Dallas made it clear they want to re-sign both Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith in the offseason, and KP was no longer part of their future.

In return, Dallas secured another shot creator in Spencer Dinwiddie and a sharpshooter in Davis Bertans. Here is a closer look at the two newest Mavericks.

Dallas Mavericks trade Kristaps Porzingis to Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie

Dinwiddie is in the first season of a three-year deal worth $54 million, but he is a proven ball-handler and playmaker. The 28-year-old guard is averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game this season. He has struggled to knock down shots and is not the most efficient scorer, but Dallas was searching for another creator ahead of the deadline.

Bertans has not played much this season but is a career 40.0 percent 3-point shooter. The 6’10 big man has three years and $49 million left on his contract. The Mavs want to put shooting around Luka Doncic, so Bertans could play more in Dallas.

It was a shocking move for the Mavericks. They got back two capable rotation pieces in the deal, and expect the Mavs to search for a second star to pair with Luka Doncic in the offseason. Will they be able to land one? It will likely have to wait until their 2023 first-round pick conveys to the Knicks from that KP deal.

The Smoking Cuban will have plenty more on this deal, including a look at the Dallas Mavericks depth chart, and what to expect moving forward, so stay tuned.