Though the Super Bowl – the most watched television event of the year – the biggest sports stories have involved basketball. Superbowl week began with trade rumors involving All-NBA Forward Anthony Davis and ended with the Knicks shocking the league by trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks. The full trade details are below;
Knicks Receive: Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, DeAndre Jordan, and two first round picks.
Mavericks Receive: Kristaps Porzingis, Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Trey Burke.
The Knicks moved Porzingis less than two hours after stories broke regarding his frustration with the team’s direction. Both teams are taking extraordinary risks with the trade and were made with the future in mind.
For the Mavs, the trade’s success hinges on the health of Porzingis. In four years he has missed 110 games due to a laundry list of injuries, mostly to his lower extremities. To make matters worse, Porzingis has not played since February 2018 after tearing his ACL. Injury concerns concerning a 7’3” big man are reminiscent of Greg Oden and Yao Ming, whose careers were cut short by leg injuries. Yet, the Mavs appeared happy to take the risk because, when healthy, Porzingis is that good. He is one of the few big men capable of protecting the rim on defense and spacing the floor on offense. This unique skill set makes him a perfect fit alongside Luka Doncic. For those unfamiliar, Doncic is one of the best young players in the league with MVP level potential. At 19, the Slovenian guard has tremendous versatility as a scorer along with a firm understanding of the game that allows him to run the offense. Porzingis is an ideal pick-and-roll partner for Doncic due to his outside shooting and will be the foundation of the Mavs offense next season. The Mavs have their franchise player in Doncic and the addition of Porzingis will give them a one-two punch that could rival any in the league if he can stay healthy.
Meanwhile, the Knicks view this trade as the first of multiple moves. Along with Porzingis, the Knicks were also able to offload Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee which created an additional $37 million in cap space this summer. This will give the Knicks a total of $73 million to spend this summer with the hopes of signing stars like;
Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thomson, Jimmy Butler, or Kawhi Leonard.
The Knicks are betting on their ability to attract elite talent, but their history leaves fans with little hope. In 2010, the Knicks had nearly $35 million in cap space and failed to sign LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade instead signing Amar’e Stoudemire to a five year $99 million contract. Though Stoudemire played at an MVP level during the first half the following season, he quickly fell apart due to injuries. In 2016, they struck out on Kevin Durant to only give Joakim Noah four years and $72 million, of which he only played 53 games for the Knicks and was cut two years later. In 2017, the gave the previously mentioned Hardaway Jr. and Lee a combined $122 million over four years. Arguably the worst decision a team could make in the NBA is top-dollar for a borderline all-star. Each of these decisions has seriously hindered the Knicks ability to bring in impactful, elite talent via free agency and acquisition.
If the Knicks are able to sign either Durant or Irving, the trade will pay off. Yet, the concern among Knicks fans is that they will overpay for a second-tier free agent which prevents them from competing for championships and drafting top prospects. For example, if the Knicks sign Jimmy Butler and Kemba Walker or DeMarcus Cousins to max deals what is there a ceiling?
Additionally, the Knicks will not be the only team competing for franchise-caliber players. The Brooklyn Nets will enter the summer with $54 million in cap space and have made their way back into the playoff conversation through a plethora of young complementary pieces. The Sixers have room to bring in a franchise player and have All-NBA talent already on their roster in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Most importantly, LeBron James enters his first offseason as a Laker and will focus everything on attracting the likes of Leonard, Irving, and Thompson to play in Los Angeles and compete for championships.
Another factor free agents will also consider is the Knicks organizational history and its lack of stability. They have had four coaches since 2014 and their failure to acquire talent through the draft has left them absent of young players capable of complementing a franchise player.
Like the Knicks, the Mavs have also been unsuccessful in their attempts to lure free agents. Instead of rolling the dice again this summer, they decided to bring in talent through trading. Though Porzingis comes with serious health concerns, he is at least a proven All-Star level talent when on the court. Meanwhile, the Knicks gave up their best young player since Patrick Ewing – not joking, I checked – for the chance at a franchise player. The Knicks are taking a big swing and betting on their brand to bring them their first title since 1970. Sadly, for Knicks fans relying on their team is the scariest part.
The Thesis 