The Dallas Mavericks traded for Kristaps Porzingis with the hope that pairing him with Luka Doncic would strengthen their chance of fully dominating the Western Conference and winning the NBA championship title. Unfortunately, in his first two years as a Maverick, the Latvian center failed to live up to expectations as their second-best player and struggled to build a good relationship with Doncic.
The Mavericks are yet to make him officially available on the trading block, but most people believe that they would explore moving him if they are presented with an intriguing offer this summer.
Portland Trail Blazers ‘Most Likely’ Landing Spot For Kristaps Porzingis
In a recent article, Tyler Watts of Fansided’s The Smoking Cuban named five teams that could trade for Porzingis this summer. These include the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Portland Trail Blazers. All of those teams would be a great trade partner for the Mavericks.
Aside from having a collection of intriguing trade assets, they also have players that they could use to match Porzingis’ massive salary. Of all those teams, Watts believes that the Trail Blazers are the “most likely Kristaps Porzingis landing spot” in the 2021 offseason.
Trail Blazers Need A Change After Another Mediocre Season
Despite suffering another early exit in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the Trail Blazers still don’t have any plan of undergoing a full-scale rebuild. However, in order to keep Damian Lillard happy in Portland, the Trail Blazers should do everything they can to improve their roster around him this summer. If the Trail Blazers are finally ready to move on from CJ McCollum, Watts thinks that swapping him for Porzingis would make a lot of sense.
“Portland could look to move on from McCollum in hopes of keeping Lillard happy long-term. McCollum has three years and $ 100 million left on his contract. The Mavericks could make a straight swap for Porzingis in a challenge trade. Both teams could improve from the deal and get closer to reaching their goals.”
Kristaps Porzingis Becomes Damian Lillard New Superstar Running Mate
Trading McCollum for Porzingis is only worth exploring for the Trail Blazers if they could get an assurance that the Latvian center has fully recovered from his previous injuries. Pairing a healthy Porzingis with Lillard would give the Trail Blazers a new formidable duo.
In Porzingis, the Trail Blazers would be getting a very reliable second-scoring option next to Lillard, as well as a great rebounder, rim protector, and floor-spacer. This season, he averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
CJ McCollum-Kristaps Porzingis Deal A No-Brainer For The Mavericks
The Mavericks may have said on numerous occasions that they have no intention of trading Porzingis, but it’s hard to see them passing on the deal that would send McCollum to Dallas. Even if the Trail Blazers demand the inclusion of a future first-rounder in the trade package, swapping Porzingis for McCollum is still a no-brainer for the Mavericks.
By bringing McCollum to Dallas, the Mavericks would give Doncic a more durable superstar running mate. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, McCollum would be the ideal sidekick for a ball-dominant superstar like Doncic in the 2021-22 NBA season.
