Mavericks, Wizards agree on Porzingis deal

In one of the trade deadline’s bigger shocks, the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a deal which will see Kristaps Porzingis and a future second-rounder sent to Washington in exchange for Dāvis Bertāns and Spencer Dinwiddie.

After being infamously traded from New York in January of 2019, Porzingis’ tenure in Dallas was a precarious one. Porzingis agreed to a five-year, $158-million extension soon after being traded to Dallas, with an option in his favour for the 2023-24 season. Rumblings of his discontent began surfacing last season, which culminated with a second consecutive first-round exit at the hands of the Clippers; a series in which he averaged just 13.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg, shooting a measly 29.6% from three.

The former All-Star appeared in just 134 of a possible 202 games for Dallas, constantly struggling with a string of injuries that stemmed back to his days in New York. In 34 appearances this season for Dallas, the 26-year-old has averaged 19.2 ppg and 7.7 rpg, shooting 45.1% from the field and 28.3% from three, which are all his lowest marks since his second season in New York.

The Latvian-native joins a Washington team that currently sits 11th in the East at 24-29, a game-and-a-half out of the play-in. After starting the season 10-3, the Wizards have suffered through a prolonged slump that has prompted a plethora of issues to rear their head. Bertāns, Dinwiddie, and Montrezl Harrell have now all been dealt and All-Star Bradley Beal will miss the remainder of the season after opting to undergo wrist surgery.

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Fellow-Latvian Bertāns re-upped with Washington on a five-year, $80-million deal in November of 2020, which will run through until the end of 2024-25. Bertāns has been one of the league’s deadliest three-point shooters over the past few seasons, this season, however, the 29-year-old has struggled mightily, averaging just 5.7 ppg in 14.7 mpg, shooting just 31.9% from three.

Dinwiddie, meanwhile, joined Washington this off-season after recovering from a torn ACL and has also endured a down year. The 28-year-old is averaging 12.6 ppg and 5.8 apg on just 37.6% from the field in 30.2 mpg.

Both players will have opportunities to prove why they belong in Dallas’ playoff rotation, with their fits alongside superstar Luka Dončić paramount. The Mavericks currently sit at fifth in the West at 32-23.

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