Mavericks acquire Dinwiddie, Bertans in Porzingis trade
[adning id=”33097″]
The NBA trade deadline was Thursday, as fans anxiously awaited to see what their favorite teams would do. Dallas Mavericks fans were hit with a last second surprise, as it was announced minutes before the deadline that big man Kristaps Porzingis was being moved to the Washington Wizards.
The Porzingis era of the Mavericks has had it’s ups-and-downs, primarily due to his injury concerns. While healthy Porzingis had played some of his best basketball this season, though he has played in just 34 of the 56 games this season.
In return, the Mavericks received Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Both players have been having down seasons in Washington, though they both have had success in their careers.
Dinwiddie is a 6’5 shooting guard, who averages 13 points per game for his career. As recently as the 2019-2020 season Dinwiddie averaged just shy of 21 points per game, after averaging 16.8 points per game the season before.
Bertans is a 6’10 power forward, though he is considered to be a defensive liability. Bertans is best known for his 3-point shooting ability, something the Mavericks have been lacking this season. The 6’10 power forward is a 40% 3-point shooter for his career, and even had back-to-back seasons of over 42%.
Fans had mixed reactions to the Porzingis trade, contesting that the Mavericks should have received more for the former all-star. Perhaps the biggest upside in the trade is the flexibility it gives Dallas for future trades, now that they no longer have to worry about Porzingis’ contract.
As for how it effects the Mavericks this season, they will no longer depend on Porzignis’ health when it comes to the postseason. Though Dinwiddie and Bertans are each having down seasons, they will have to hope the mixture of superstar Luka Doncic and head coach Jason Kidd can get the two back to where they were before their struggles started.
[adning id=”33207″]
Dinwiddie offers a volume shooter who can take some pressure off Doncic. Dinwiddie has also shown he can be a playmaker, averaging 6.8 assists the same season he averaged 20.6 points per game.
As for Bertans, he could find a significant role for himself if he can pick his shooting back up. The Mavericks are a team who get a ton of wide open 3-point attempts and have struggled making them, ranking 24th in the league in 3-point percentage. Adding a 40% 3-point shooter could help them out a ton in that aspect.
Just hours after the trade was made the Mavericks were back in action, hosting the Los Angeles Clippers. Dallas walked away with the 112-105 win, thanks in large part to a career night from Doncic.
Doncic had a career-high 51 points, 28 of which came in the first quarter. The Slovenian superstar shot 17-26 from the field and made seven of his 14 3-point attempts.
Dorian Finney-Smith also had a strong game, scoring 12 points on 5-10 from the field. Earlier in the day it was reported the Mavericks were nearing a four-year extension with Finney-Smith, worth $52 million.
Reggie Bullock and Jalen Brunson each added 11 points.
Dallas fans are hoping the acquisitions aren’t done however, as there is a strong chance they could still land Goran Dragic. Dragic was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, and by all accounts is expected to reach a buyout agreement with them. Dallas have been the heavy favorites to land Dragic, although reports that other teams will be in the mix as well have started to come about.
Updated coverage on the Dallas Mavericks will be provided on Front Porch News. Stay tuned for updates on the Dragic situation and for more game recaps.
[adning id=”33207″]
