As the NBA trade deadline approached, it was yet again a frenzy of rumors doing the rounds while teams sought out the best trades. In one of the most dramatic trade deadline stories in recent times, one particular trade still managed to stick out for how polarising it was. The Dallas Mavericks finally traded out Kristaps Porzingis. In return, they got Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans from the Washington Wizards.
The Dallas Mavericks have acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and Dāvis Bertāns from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis and a protected 2022 second round pick.
In a related move, Dallas has requested waivers on Moses Brown. pic.twitter.com/7Q6kzJ9YTR
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) February 11, 2022
Kristaps Porzingis, marred by injuries or just not a good fit alongside Luka?
The Mavericks traded for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. It was a move that began their roster-building attempts around Luka Doncic, their bonafide superstar. Dallas fans heralded Porzingis as their second superstar, who will lead them to their second championship after their 2011 success.
While the front office also envisioned something similar, it hasn’t quite gone the same way since. The Latvian’s time in Dallas was continuously haunted by the injury he had encountered before signing the $158 million max contract.
In 3 seasons and 134 games at Dallas, the 7 ft 3 in tall center recorded 20 points and 1.8 assists per game. A better offensive stat line than his New York Knicks days. While on the defensive end, he grabbed 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, a slightly underwhelming return in comparison to his first 3 seasons in the NBA.
The issue was never him on the court. It was how long he spent off the court. The same inconsistency that can hinder a deep playoff run. Stylistically, The Unicorn was a great defensive piece and complemented Luka well on alley-oop and pick-and-roll plays. So how does Spencer Dinwiddie fit in here and why did the Mavs finally decide to move on from Kristaps Porzingis?
“Both of them give us a lot of flexibility and add depth.”
“Both of them give us a lot of flexibility and add depth.”, was what GM Nico Harrison had to say about the incoming 2 players. Dinwiddie, the 28-year-old point guard, has always been a subpar shooter. He has shot a very disappointing 37.6% from the field across his career.
But his worth perhaps lies in his better defensive numbers for a point guard although not as good as current league leader and new teammate, Luka Doncic. Mavericks coach, Jason Kidd, could use Dinwiddie to lead the second unit and afford Jalen Brunson and Luka some rest.
Along the same lines, Davis Bertans is known to have one of the worst contracts for a team to have on their books. And his shooting, albeit with potential, has been abysmal over the last few years. Are the Mavericks inept for hoping for another revival in a player? Or are they playing at something bigger here?
While Mark Cuban and Nico Harrison consistently maintained that these were sincere roster-building moves, the newest additions to the Dallas Mavericks could just be pawns. What the Mavericks truly gained here is finally offloading the max contract that Porzingis held.
In return, they may have gotten similar difficult contracts, but they are small pieces. And easier to move about in trades for better players. And that is the real play here. The flexibility that GM Nico Harrison referred to is in terms of contracts.
"Obviously we're going to miss KP. We're building something great here. … We wish him the best." – Luka Doncic
— The Kobe Beef (@TheKobeBeef) February 11, 2022
The Dallas Mavericks are finally here to make some moves. And moving on from the hurdle that Porzingis hedged in for 3 seasons is just the beginning of the Mavericks “…building something great”, as Luka Doncic himself put it.
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