The Porzingis-Dinwiddie deal between the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards from three perspectives

The Dallas Mavericks parted ways with Kristaps Porzingis after almost three years and brought in reinforcements for Luka Doncic from Washington. What does the trade mean for the Mavericks, the Wizards, and Porzingis?

The trade as seen by the Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks have finally considered the chapter of Kristaps Porzingis in Dallas as a failure and wanted to end it, otherwise the deal for Dallas does not seem to be explained at the moment.

While the Mavs are getting rid of Porzingis’ contract, which will earn him nearly $70 million with a player option over the next two seasons, they’re taking on the long contracts of Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Dinwiddie is due just under $37 million through the summer of 2024 if Dallas doesn’t fire him before the 2023-24 season to save $8.5 million. Bertans is guaranteed to make 33 million through 2024 before the Mavs can get him off the books.

Dallas has hardly achieved any flexibility in terms of cap space, and the Mavs have added a second-round pick. How has the team changed from a sporting point of view? After all, Dinwiddie is the third playmaker behind Doncic and Jalen Brunson, who has been missing for the Mavericks in the recent past.

Dinwiddie didn’t really play well with the ball-dominant Bradley Beal, and the 28-year-old played a modest season in Washington anyway. In 44 games for the Wizards, he averaged 12.6 points and 5.8 assists per game on just 37.6 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from downtown.

Doncic, like Beal, is best with the ball, so Dinwiddie will continue to see plenty of off-ball play in Dallas when he’s not leading second unit during Doncic’s breaks. One advantage: Thanks to Dinwiddie’s size, lineups with him, Doncic and Brunson shouldn’t be unplayable from a defensive point of view, which could make Jason Kidd’s team more variable.

Dallas Mavericks: Is Dinwiddie the Summer Plan B?

Dinwiddie can also be seen as insurance for the summer if offers for budding free agent Brunson get too high and Dallas have to let the guard go. That would be a disappointing outcome anyway, one that the Mavs would likely continue to tread water on.

And Bertan’s? The 29-year-old earned his hefty contract as a big shooter but has hit just 31.9 percent from long range so far this season. Bertans is hardly playable without his throw, which caused him to fall completely out of the rotation in Washington. Unlike his compatriot Porzingis, he doesn’t have much to offer either defensively or as a playmaker. At the moment, Bertans can only hope that his litter will find its way back to him.

Regardless of Bertans returning to form, the deal will make Dallas smaller on the front court, the Mavs managers seem convinced of Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Dorian Finney-Smith, who on the day of the deadline had a contract extension for four years and 52 million dollars was endowed.

The Mavericks have lost a player whose main weakness is his injury history, but in a fit state Porzingis continued to play at a high level this season, albeit not at the level hoped for. 20 years of Doncic and Porzingis (cc Mark Cuban) have become just three.

New to the team are two players who have both been in search of their best form for a year and a half and during that time, like Porzingis, have been hampered by injuries. The second star in Dallas is still missing, the Mavericks have hardly come any closer to him with this trade.

The Dallas Mavericks roster