By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After rumors about him being traded to Toronto, Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis is leaving Dallas for the rebuilding Washington Wizards.
Per multiple reports, the Mavericks are getting Spencer Dinwiddie and Latvian Davis Bertans, while Porzingis is moving to the Wizards.
While the Raptors were willing to upgrade in the paint and were ready to offer Goran Dragic, the Slovenian teammate of Luka Doncic who ended up to the Spurs, the addition of a capable backcourt scorer like Dinwiddie and a “Porzingis light” like Bertans, who is also a great shooting forward, makes sense for Dallas.
Porzingis averaged 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 134 games for the Mavericks over three seasons and has two seasons remaining on his five-year, $158 million contract.
Dinwiddie, 28, provides the Mavericks a scoring and playmaking boost. He signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Wizards last offseason and has career averages of 12.9 points and 5.1 assists per game.
The 6-foot-10 Bertans is a 40% career 3-point shooter who fell out of favor in Washington after signing a five-year, $80 million deal in the 2020 offseason. He has averaged 5.7 points in 34 games this season.
The Washington Wizards, who now will be without Bradley Beal for the rest of the season after wrist surgery, were willing to part with just about anyone other than Beal or Kyle Kuzma at the deadline.
After sending Montrezl Harrell to Charlotte, they had room for Porzingis who clearly was not untouchable in Dallas.