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Blockbuster Alert: Kristaps Porzingis traded to the Mavericks

The Knicks shocked the rest of the NBA by trading their franchise centerpiece and some bad contracts for Dennis Smith Jr. and others

By Aykis16
NBA: Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

If you haven’t heard by now, the NBA continues to be the craziest sports league in the entire world.

In a matter of 30 minutes, we went from a vague tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski saying that the Knicks had met with a disgruntled Kristaps Porzingis and were left with the “impression” that he wanted to be traded to the Knicks trading Porzings to the Mavericks in a deal centered on Dallas taking on New York’s bad contracts and sending back Dennis Smith Jr. and expirings to Shams Charania reporting that Porzingis will tell the Mavericks that he will not sign an extension and will only take the Qualifying Offer.

Pure insanity.

Because of the sheer scope of this trade and its implications on the rest of the NBA, I’ve decided to create this thread for you all to discuss ad nauseam.

Just my two cents:

  1. The Knicks must really believe that a) Porzingis would make good on his threat to sign the qualifying offer this year instead of accepting a maximum contract extension, something nobody has ever done and b) that they can land two max free agents this summer as they now have the space to do so.
  2. If Kristaps Porzingis really turns down $150+ million from Dallas, coming off an ACL tear and a history of other injuries, he’s really got some cajones. I will believe it when I see it.
  3. The West just keeps getting tougher. Porzingis and Doncic instantly makes one of the best one-two punches in the league if Porzingis gets healthy and stays long term.
  4. I’m not terribly upset that the Kings didn’t get in on this action. For starters, it barely seems like the Knicks gave anyone but the Mavericks a call given how quickly this all happened. I also would be hesitant to include Marvin Bagley in any deal (and De’Aaron Fox is a complete non-starter). Anyone else would be on the table though but the Knicks might value Smith more than anything else on the table.
  5. I wonder if the Mavericks now make Harrison Barnes available?
  6. If the Knicks strike out in free agency this summer, that whole organization needs to be fired into the sun.

Discuss

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