Dallas Mavs Finally Pay Off Kristaps Porzingis Trade with New York Knicks After Clinching Playoffs

The Dallas Mavericks’ big trade for Kristaps Porzingis was made more than five years ago, and it’s just now being paid off after Luka Doncic and company clinched a spot in the NBA playoffs.

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After a long five years, the Dallas Mavericks will finally pay off the New York Knicks for the Kristaps Porzingis trade that happened more than five years ago.

With the Mavs’ blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night, they clinched a spot in the NBA playoffs for the 19th time in 24 seasons, which means their 2024 first-round pick will convey to the Knicks during this year’s draft.

In 2019, halfway through Luka Doncic’s rookie season, former Mavs GM Donnie Nelson swung for the fences by trading for Porzingis. Dallas traded DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., a 2021 first-round pick (which ultimately turned into Keon Johnson) and a 2023 top-10 protected first-round pick (pushed to 2024 since Mavs had the 10th pick in the 2023 draft) for Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke and Courtney Lee.

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Everyone likes to talk about which team “won the trade” after a deal happens, and in this particular scenario, even with Porzingis not being with the Mavs anymore, it’s still probably safe to say Dallas got the better end of the deal — that is, assuming whoever the Knicks draft late in the first round this year doesn’t become a star.

When Porzingis was healthy, you could see the potential he had while being Luka Doncic’s co-star. Unfortunately, though, the 7-3 big man couldn’t stay on the court enough to make the pairing reach that potential, and the Mavs eventually traded him to the Washington Wizards in 2022 for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Although that trade seemed like Dallas taking the shorter end of the stick at the time, it actually ignited a run to the Western Conference Finals that season.

Porzingis was then traded from the Wizards to the Boston Celtics last summer, and he’s been thriving in his role there ever since. Fortunate good health and maturity — an area Porzingis admits he could’ve been better in while with the Mavs — have contributed to him being a key piece on a 60-win Celtics team that ranks first in the league.

A lot has changed for the Mavs as well, as they now have Doncic and Kyrie Irving as their star backcourt duo. Current Mavs GM went out and traded for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at this year’s deadline, and Dallas has been on a roll ever since.

The Mavs have won 15 of their last 17 games with the playoffs right around the corner, and if things break the right way, perhaps they'll meet up with their old pal Porzingis in June.