In a move that came as kind of a surprise, the Dallas Mavericks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards ahead of the trade deadline in return for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. There weren't many rumors about a move like this going through and despite his injury woes, Porzingis was considered a key piece for the Mavs before the move went through.
There were several reactions from fans and media personalities alike, but none that matter as much as the reaction of Dallas' main superstar in Luka Doncic. Doncic spoke about it on Thursday night after an excellent performance against the Los Angeles Clippers, explaining that the move had come as a surprise to him as well and wishing Porzingis the very best for his future.
“Obviously, we’re going to miss KP,” Doncic told reporters after the game. “We were building something great here. It didn’t obviously work out”.
“I wish him the best, and we’ve got two new guys who are welcome on the team”, added the Slovenian All-Star.
“Bertans is a great shooter. Dinwiddie can put the ball on the floor, and he can score. The NBA is a business. He [Porzingis] went through a lot with the injuries. I think this year, he was way better. Like I said, the NBA is a business, and I wish him the best in the future.”
The addition of Porzingis in 2019 was meant to take the Mavericks to the next level, with KP expected to form a duo with Luka that would become one of the NBA's best. However, it didn't quite work out that way and two first-round exits followed. Porzingis was quite injury-prone during his time in Dallas and also struggled to perform when healthy last season. In any case, the move will have a huge impact on the future for the Mavs who are now without a certified second star as they go into this season's playoffs.
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