NOBODY IN THE Dallas Mavericks' front office exchanged high-fives after details were finalized on the deal made minutes before the Feb. 10 trade deadline. The consensus in the room was that moving on from big man Kristaps Porzingis was in the best interest of the franchise, but it wasn't a cause for celebration.
Porzingis, after all, had been acquired in a blockbuster deal two years earlier to pair with Luka Doncic as the franchise's foundational pieces. Porzingis was supposed to be the co-star the Mavericks and their 23-year-old superstar needed to help form a long-term contender.