Mavs trade Porzingis to Wizards for Dinwiddie, Bertans

Kristaps Porzingis Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Mavericks trade Kristaps Porzingis to Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Feb 10, 2022 3:27 PM ET

A second NBA team has moved on from supposed unicorn Kristaps Porzingis.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported shortly ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline that the Dallas Mavericks are sending Porzingis and a second-round draft pick to the Washington Wizards for guard Spencer Dinwiddie and forward Davis Bertans.

The Wizards recently learned All-Star Bradley Beal required season-ending wrist surgery and are currently on the outside looking in regarding the Eastern Conference playoff spots. Meanwhile, the fifth-place Mavericks are hoping to avoid the play-in portion of the Western Conference bracket and possibly preparing for life beyond this spring:

Here’s the contract for Kristaps Porzingis:

$31.7, 33.8 and $36 (player)

It’s essentially a wash in salary https://t.co/ELgcNOWriw
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 10, 2022

Mavs remain optimistic that they will re-sign Jalen Brunson this summer, sources tell ESPN. Pistons are known to have serious interest and significant cap space. https://t.co/m6NuuzvnbO
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 10, 2022

Porzingis earned the only All-Star nod to date of his career with the New York Knicks in 2018 before he suffered a torn ACL that same year that cost him the subsequent season. Dallas acquired him in January 2019 with the hope that the big man and Luka Doncic could combine for a championship one-two punch, but injuries more often than not prevented Porzingis from playing at an elite level.

Mavs will release center Moses Brown to create the roster spot necessary to complete this trade, source said. https://t.co/QujDseVYAT
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 10, 2022

In March 2021, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban publicly shot down rumors he looked to trade the 26-year-old before last year's deadline, but it was assumed at that time no transaction occurred because Dallas couldn't get anything resembling equal value back for Porzingis' services.

Across just 34 games in 2021-22, Porzingis has averaged 19.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

“I know he got nicknamed the unicorn because he’s so unique, but he’s also the unicorn because you hardly ever see him. That’s the problem. He’s not consistently available.”

Tim Legler goes OFF on Kristaps Porzingis

pic.twitter.com/HFTG7pf5jg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 10, 2022

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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