You could almost see it in Rick Carlisle’s eyes.
As the Dallas Mavericks’ head coach sat with owner Mark Cuban, general manager Donnie Nelson, and the four newest players on the roster, including Kristaps Porzingis, Carlisle didn’t try to hide where his heart was.
He’s already dreaming of the ways to use Porzingis, a 7-foot-3 center/forward, and his prized rookie phenom Luka Doncic, together as a one-two punch in the NBA.
But it’s going to have to wait until next season, which was made clear during Monday’s introductory press conference for Porzingis and his three teammates who arrived in Dallas from the New York Knicks after last week’s blockbuster, seven-player trade.