Since the 2021 NBA offseason, rumors have been swirling around Kristaps Porzingis and his future with the Dallas Mavericks. With his failure to live up to expectations as the team’s second-best player, there are growing speculations that the Mavericks would use Porzingis as a trade chip to improve their roster around Luka Doncic.
Once he becomes officially available on the trading block, Porzingis is expected to receive strong interest from title contenders that need a frontcourt boost and rebuilding teams that want to speed up their timeline.
Porzingis To OKC Thunder
One of the rebuilding teams that could explore trading for Porzingis before the 2022 NBA trade deadline is the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a recent article, Kenneth Teape of NBA Analysis Network talked about a hypothetical trade idea that would enable the Thunder to acquire Porzingis from the Mavericks this season.
In the proposed trade scenario, the Thunder would be offering a package that includes Luguentz Dort, Kenrich Williams, Derrick Favors, and a future first-round pick to the Mavericks in exchange for Porzingis.
Thunder Get A Franchise Center
With his health issues and massive contract, trading for Porzingis would undeniably be a risky move for the Thunder. However, if he could prove that he’s 100 percent injury-free, Porzingis would be an incredible addition to the rebuilding Thunder. The Latvian center would give them another franchise cornerstone who would help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bring the team back to title contention in the post-Russell Westbrook era.
Aside from Porzingis, the Thunder would also be receiving another young and promising talent in Green, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
On-Court Impact
Porzingis could immediately make an impact for the Thunder in the 2021-22 NBA season. A healthy Porzingis would give them a massive upgrade at the starting center position and significantly improve their performance on both ends of the floor. In Porzingis, the Thunder would be getting a very reliable scoring option under the basket, a great rebounder, on-court facilitator, rim protector, and floor-spacer.
This season, the 26-year-old center is averaging 17.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Will The Mavericks Be More Competitive?
Meanwhile, for the Mavericks, the proposed deal would enable them to turn Porzingis into three new supporting casts for Doncic. Aside from having a veteran replacement for Porzingis in Favors, the Mavericks would be also acquiring a talented wingman in Dort and a "do-it-all forward" in Williams.
"Luguentz Dort provides Dallas with another defensive-minded player on the wing, which they can never have enough of. He can knock down some 3-pointers as well, providing Jason Kidd with another option for the small-ball lineups he has been using thus far," Teape wrote. "Kenrich Williams is a do-it-all forward with some versatility. He can defend multiple positions and fill numerous roles in an offense."
]]>The Inquisitr
