Disgruntled Kristaps Porziņģis dealt to Mavericks

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

Hours after telling the New York Knicks management he wanted to be traded, Disgruntled Kristaps Porziņģis has gotten his wish. He has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Porziņģis was traded to the Mavericks on Thursday. Dallas is also receiving Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee.

The Knicks are receiving Dennis Smith Jr., a former lottery pick, who Dallas was trying to deal with the success of Luka Dončić. They also acquire expiring contracts in Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan.

New York is also receiving a future first-round draft pick in this deal.

With this deal, the Knicks now have the capability to have room for two max contracts this summer. Before Thursday started, New York did not even have the room to sign one Max player.

The 23-year-old Liepaja, Latvia native has not played in a single game this season. He is nursing a torn ACL injury that he suffered during the 2017-18 season. 

Porziņģis — who was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft —played in 48 games before suffering the season-ending torn ACL injury. He averaged a career-high 22.7 points with 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game in 2017-18. 

The 33-year-old Lee will join his eighth NBA team in his career. He has had 12 appearances with two starts for the Knicks this season.

He is averaging 4.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game this season.