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On January 31, 2019, it was announced the New York Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Knicks would receive Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two future first-round draft picks from the Mavericks in the deal. Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Trey Burke were sent to the Mavericks in return.
Porzingis, who was a restricted free agent at the time, planned to sign his qualifying offer with Dallas, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Pairing Porzingis alongside the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelbourne reported that Porzingis met with Knicks management and the meeting left them with the impression that the young forward wanted out of New York.
“When he came in today, it was clear to us that it was time to pull the trigger on something,” Knicks President Steve Mills said back in January.
Kristaps Porzingis has been sidelined since February 8, 2018, when he suffered an ACL injury during a 103-89 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
When he arrived in Dallas, it was announced that Porzingis would be deactivated for the rest of the season.
Former Heat Forward Rashard Lewis Weighs in on Porzingis-Doncic Pairing
“They have a bright future. When they made that trade first thing I thought about was ‘what was New York thinking,'” Lewis told me.
“I know he [Porzingis] was coming off an ACL tear, but the upside for that guy is huge. He is still a young kid and a guy like Luka to be on his team who had a tremendous season. To be so young, he played like a veteran. Lets you know all they have to do is build up the role players around those guys, and they will have a successful team,” Lewis said.
Earlier this week, former All-Star Porzingis talked about not playing for almost 19 months.
“I feel great. In my mind, I always wanted to come back when I was 110 percent. I didn’t want to halfway do it – maybe I’m good, maybe I’m not so (good). So, I made sure I’m 100 percent healthy, and now I’m back,” Porzingis told Mavs.com reporter Dwain Price.
Kristaps Porzingis Talks Teaming up With Luka Doncic
Porzingis is excited to play with Doncic this upcoming season, and the forward revealed as much on Monday. He also admitted that he’s never shared the floor with a player of Doncic’s caliber.
“I am extremely excited about that. I have never played with a guy like Luka,” said Porzingis. “His vision on the court, passing ability, his ability score, and take attention off his teammates. That is something I haven’t really had a player like him. So, I am extremely excited and can wait for us to actually get some NBA minutes on the court. So, we can start creating that bond.”
“We can really mess up team defenses like that,” he said. “If they want to switch, he can attack the mismatch; or I can attack the mismatch. I think it could be a nightmare for the teams going forward. We just have to develop that chemistry on the floor.”
The Mavericks plan to keep Doncic and Porzingis together for a long time. Back in June, they signed the former Knick to a five-year deal worth $158 million, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
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