Mavs Donuts: Doncic Drops 51 Points After Porzingis Trade; NBA Deadline Roundup

DallasBasketball.com lists 12 NBA storylines in addition to relevant Dallas Mavericks news and analysis.

The NBA trade deadline hit like a hurricane. Stars swapped, four-teams trades occurred, and the Dallas Mavericks shipped Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards. Thursday was a barrage of news that washed over the NBA, leaving NBA fanbases to pick up the pieces.  

Get your fresh dozen; these are the Mavs Donuts. 

Donut 1: Kristaps Porzingis Traded to Washington Wizards

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

"He's like a Unicorn because you never see him." ESPN Tim Legler said of Kristaps Porzingis. Mean or not, there is some validity in that joke. Another thing no one saw coming was a mid-season trade seeing Porzingis shipped to the Washington Wizards. 

What did the Mavs receive?

General Manager Nico Harrison made his first big splash by sending Porzingis and a second-round pick to D.C. for Spencer Dinwiddie and David Bertans. 

DallasBasketball.com covered this trade extensively and alluded to Dinwiddie as a Mavs in previous content. 

Donut 2: Luka Doncic Drop Career-High 51 Points

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

On a day where trades dominated headlines, ‘Luka Magic’ still reigned supreme. Doncic erupted for a career-high 51 points against the Los Angeles Clippers at the AAC - the most fitting opponent for such an event given the playoff rivalry.

Doncic scored 21 points alone on three-point field goals, attempting 14 shots. The last Mavs to score 50 points predictably was Dirk Nowitzki, which occurred in 2006 vs. the Phoenix Suns during the Western Conference Finals. 

Donut 3: Dorian Finney-Smith Signs Contract Extension

© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Free agency is now a little easier for the Mavs as Dorian Finney-Smith signed a four-year, $55.5 million extension. The contract makes sense, with Finney-Smith averaging 10 points per contest, 36 percent from distance, and an overall glue-guy of the Mavs. You can never have enough two-way wings in this league.

Donut 4: Doncic Selected to Team LeBron for All-Star Game

Although LeBron James failed to recruit Doncic as a team LeBron shoe brand member, James successfully picked the Mavs' star for the 2022 All-Star game.

Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeRozan, and Step Curry join James as starters on Team LeBron. Doncic, Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and James Harden are the reserves.

Donut 5: James Harden and Ben Simmons Swap Teams 

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden's screaming paid off as the disgruntled star was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, reuniting with Daryl Morey. 

Ben Simmons, another discounted "star," now aligns with two superior offensive players in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant as the Brooklyn Nets look to improve on a terrible 10-game losing streak. 

The whole trade: James Harden and Paul Millsap going to Philadelphia and Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks going to Brooklyn, the teams announced Thursday.

Donut 6: Four-Team Trade with Bucks Headlining

On a mission to repeat as NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks joined the deadline frenzy in a four-team trade. 

In a four-team deal, the Bucks acquired Serge Ibaka from the for Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye. The Bucks also traded Donte DiVincenzo to the Sacramento Kings and received two second-round picks and cash considerations. The Kings sent Marvin Bagley III to the Detroit Pistons for Trey Lyle and Josh Jackson.

Donut 7: On This Day

On this day in the NBA, in 2009, a certain menace to the Mavs orchestrated quite the performance. Clippers point guard Baron Davis dished out 20 assists in a 128-124 victory over the New York Knicks. 

Donut 8: Mavs Media Reflects on Porzingis Trade

After the shock wore off from the Porzingis trade, media members voiced their opinions. Josh Bowe, of Mavs Moneyball, offered his thoughts on the deal. 

Without quote-blocking segments of the article, Bowe claimed the trade was the right call, and our guys Dalton Trigg and Matt Galatzan agree on their latest Mavs Step Back Podcast.

Donut 9: Goran Dragic Traded to San Antonio Spurs

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Mavs fans' favorite Slovenian not named Doncic found himself traded on Thursday. Goran Dragic, the long-rumored trade candidate for Mavs, is a little closer to Dallas, as the Spurs obtained the veteran guard. The trade: Thaddeus Young and a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick for Dragic. 

Donut 10: Goran Dragic Buyout Imminent?

The Mavs are one step closer to obtaining Doncic's guy, as a Dragic buyout is imminent following the Toronto Raptors-Spurs swap. Although the Mavs traded for point guard Dinwiddie, there's always room for more creators. Will Dallas finally acquire their long-awaited veteran presence in Dragic?

Donut 11: Fish Dishes His Thoughts on Porzingis Trade

The originator of Mavs Donuts, and the man behind DallasBasketball.com, Mike Fisher, offered his thoughts on the Kristaps Porzingis trade. While offering fair points on both sides of the trade, Fisher painted a beautiful picture. 

Donut 12: What's Next for Mavs?

The Mavs play the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday night. How will the retooled Mavs perform in their first game together? How does Doncic follow up his 51-point performance? Tune in to find out.