Rumors: Mavericks talking about trading Kristaps Porzingis to Raptors

The Dallas Mavericks are active and aggressive in trade talks ahead of the 2 p.m. CT deadline on Thursday afternoon. They are looking for shot creation, but have no plans on dealing Jalen Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith. The latest has Dallas talking about dealing Tim Hardaway Jr. to create more financial flexibility, but fans cannot rule out a potential blockbuster.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer let out the rumor that the Mavericks are talking to the Raptors about a deal that could involve Kristaps Porzingis. The Unicorn has not played since Jan. 29 because of a knee injury, but dealing him would certainly be an unexpected blockbuster.

Here is a closer look at Fischer's rumor and what it could mean for the Dallas Mavericks moving forward.

Rumors: Dallas Mavericks talking Kristaps Porzingis trade with Raptors

Fischer notes “the discussion of a framework where Kristaps Porzingis potentially heads to Toronto has circulated around NBA front offices” before mentioning the Mavs interest in Goran Dragic and that he does not know how serious the talks are at this point.

Trading Porzingis at the deadline would be a shocker and likely forces Dallas to take a short-term step backward. If they can acquire a 2023 first-round pick from Toronto it would allow Dallas to trade their future draft picks in a potential blockbuster this offseason where Dallas secures a second star to play next to Luka Doncic. The Raptors have been rumored to shopping Dragic with a draft pick.

Tim MacMahon threw a bit of cold water on this rumor, and fans can see his tweet below.

Will the Dallas Mavericks trade Kristaps Porzingis before 2 p.m. CT? It still remains unlikely, but the front office is clearly motivated to improve the roster short and long-term around Luka Doncic. The Mavs have one of the five best players in the league, and they want to build a title contender around him.

Stay tuned to The Smoking Cuban for all the latest rumors and analysis on the Dallas Mavericks on trade deadline day.