For a few days now, it has been speculated that the Mavericks have inquired about a potential Kristaps Porzingis. It should be mentioned that Mark Cuban has outright denied these allegations, so I guess we can take that with a grain of salt. The Mavericks do have a right to ask about a possible trade, at least in my eyes.
Although he’s averaged 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, he has failed to remain healthy, this year and in his career in general. He’s only played in 17 of a possible 30 games for the Mavericks, and his absence has been felt mightily. The Mavericks have tried to rely solely on Luka Doncic, and unfortunately for them, it has gotten them to a sub .500 record.
When I look at the Mavericks’ roster, it is clearly lacking something. I’m not sure that if I was the GM that I would punt on this season, but a retool is needed badly. Luka Doncic needs more players that play more in-tune with his play-style. More spot-up shooters, more rim-runners, and more players who fit into a pick-and-roll heavy offense.
When the Mavericks made the trade for KP, it was almost immediately viewed as a mistake by a lot of people in the league, even the Maverick fans. I can’t blame them, honestly. I would be upset with the Celtics if they traded two first round draft picks for a player, no matter how much potential they had, if they had already had such a large injury history in just five short years at the time of the trade.
Do the Mavericks have any leverage in a possible trade? It’s hard to tell. There are teams in the league like the Bulls, the Pelicans, and the Timberwolves who are desperate enough and could put together a package for the Unicorn. The Bulls want to get Zach LaVine a second star, the Pelicans would want to pair Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram with a rim-protector and someone who could stretch the floor, and the Timberwolves are so bad that they could trash the whole thing and do an KP for Karl-Anthony Towns swap. I’m not sure how realistic that last one is, but anything is possible in the NBA.
The Mavericks have some questions that they need answers for. The biggest one this season? Is it worth it to keep KP? The biggest question in the big picture is what do they need to maximize Luka’s talent? Maybe KP isn’t the answer, and maybe it is time for a change. I wouldn’t be surprised if we continue to hear Porzingis’ name in the upcoming weeks in trade talks. Mark Cuban will do anything to win a championship, and he just might be willing to break up the international duo.
Round The Game 
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