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One star who has cropped up in NBA Trade Rumors this week is Dallas Mavericks' big man Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian has been the focal point of discussions after it was rumored the franchise were gauging his value on the market prior to the league's deadline next month.
Porzingis has been on and off the court this season struggling with injuries and has recently missed the Mavericks' last three games. As a result of this, and Bleacher Report's article, his name has been in and out of NBA Trade Rumors with Dallas owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle emphatically denying the claims.
As for what the player had to say on Friday, the former All-Star continued to be nonplussed on the issue.
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"It is what it is. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, and I shouldn’t be too worried about it. It can only distract me at the end of the day. I try to focus on being in the moment, being here day to day and putting in the work with my teammates and getting better as a basketball player.”
Whether NBA Trade Rumors are to be believed or not remains to be seen. However, we have put together a case for and against the Dallas Mavericks moving Kristaps Porzingis as the franchise continue to try and gain a permanent foothold in the Western Conference playoff berths.
NBA Trade Rumors: The case for the Dallas Mavericks parting ways with Kristaps Porzingis
It is no surprise to see the Dallas Mavericks involved in NBA Trade Rumors as fans will be hoping the front office makes moves prior to the deadline.
With the Mavericks sitting 9th in a stacked Western Conference, Luka Doncic badly needs scoring help. At the best of times, Kristaps Porzingis is able to give that to the superstar and is a double-double regular. However, he cannot be relied upon to see the floor often enough for the Mavs to be serious contenders in the offseason.
Kristaps Porzingis has had injury issues in the past, including tearing his ACL, and has missed 14 of the Dallas Mavericks games this season. After missing the opening 9 games, Porzingis returned to the fold, though has recently been sidelined with back tightness.
If Kristaps Porzingis was the Dallas Mavericks' 3rd or 4th scorer then he would be a luxury offensive weapon to own. However, the fact that he is their second star behind Doncic yet is so injury-prone will only continue to be a problem for the franchise. This has only thwarted his attempts to return to the form that he showed in the bubble, with which the Mavs would easily be playoff contenders.
Kristaps Porzingis' efforts on the other end of the floor have also been worrying for the Dallas Mavericks. Besides his 1.6 blocks a night being the worst tally of his young career, Porzingis is nowhere near good enough on defense to help the Mavs be a title contender.
Doncic also lacks defensive nous, but is irreplaceable and is the franchise's driving force on offense and will be for years to come. Kristaps Porzingis was a defensive powerhouse last year but currently ranks 8th-worst in the league for defensive rating of players who have played more than ten games.
He struggles when teams play a switch on him, unable to keep up with mobile guards who can shoot the ball consistently.
NBA Trade Rumors: The case against the Dallas Mavericks moving Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis is still an All-Star big at the end of the day when he sees the court. This is a position where the Dallas Mavericks aren't exactly blessed with depth, as was felt when he got injured in last year's playoffs.
If the Mavs do make the postseason, Porzingis will be crucial in his side's matchups against the likes of Jokic, Ayton and Montrezl Harrell.
Porzingis is averaging 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds a night and is shooting at a career-high 47.3% from the field. Having a player such as Porzingis in the postseason is critical and he was putting up 23.7 points per game last year before getting injured.
Given the talent he has already shown, the faith the Dallas Mavericks placed in him financially, and the patience the Mavs front office ha shown to players in the past, it is unlikely that they would want to part ways with Porzingis on bad terms. That's not how Dallas operate as a business.
The Mavericks have built up a great relationship with Kristaps Porzingis since he was a teenager and the Latvian shares a close connection with fellow European Luka Doncic. Breaking up the star duo may not only hurt the Mavs in the paint, but also affect the output their superstar provides.
