The Dallas Mavericks are sitting at home for the 2023 Playoffs after shockingly missing out on the playoffs this season. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had chemistry issues but the blame has fallen heavily on Dallas’ roster construction over the years.
Kristaps Porzingis’s time with the franchise is emblematic of that, as they traded for him with draft assets in 2018 and cut ties with him in 2022 for Spencer Dinwiddie after two tough seasons. Porzingis took the blame for his time in Dallas not working out while talking to Ariel Helwani on his basketball podcast.
(9:10) “I was having fun. I was doing my thing, I was having fun. It just wasn’t the perfect situation… I thought so too (fit with Luka being perfect), for sure. Yeah, I don’t know. We never played up to that level. And a lot of it’s on me. I could have played better, I think we had glimpses before the bubble and during the bubble where I played at a high level and things were clicking and working well with Luka. Then I got hurt in the bubble and after that, there were a lot of things, but I look at what I could have done better. I can criticize myself looking back. I wasn’t moving as well defensively, my rhythm wasn’t good at parts of the season. I wasn’t playing at the level I was playing at now. Overall, I think sooner or later, [the trade from Dallas] was going to be the result… They always treated me good. They always treated me well, and I wish, truly, everybody in the organization the best. Great people, were perfect with me. I only want good things for them. Even if they did me wrong, I would wish them good things. Nothing but the best things to say about Dallas.”
Porzingis averaged 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in his time with Dallas. Sadly, he struggled to stay healthy and be available on the court. In addition, he clearly didn’t want to be another piece in the Luka Doncic offense, which made his on-court fit with Doncic tenuous over time. The trade was inevitable and at least it led them to the Conference Finals in 2022 as a short-term reward.
The Ramifications Of Poor Roster Building
The Mavericks still owe the New York Knicks a first-round pick from the Porzingis trade, something they may give up this season if their pick falls outside of the top 10 of the lottery. If Dallas keeps the pick, the protections move on to the next season until 2026. This has hurt Dallas’ ability to trade future first-round picks, needing to go to 2029 to include a pick in the Kyrie Irving trade.
Mavs got back Spencer Dinwiddie in the Porzingis trade, who was later moved for Kyrie Irving. They also got back Davis Bertans, who’s mudding up the Mavs’ cap space with one of the worst contracts in the NBA. These trades coupled with losing Jalen Brunson for nothing and spending second-round picks for no valuable players over the years have left the Mavs asset strapped and with limited avenues of improving the team.
Hopefully, they can find some miracle this offseason, otherwise, Luka Doncic may start looking ahead to when his contract expires to see who will give him the contending roster he deserves.
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