NBA Trade Rumors: Dallas Mavericks in contact with Golden State Warriors with the goal of offloading Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis's name has been dominating the NBA trade rumors over the last week as Dallas Mavericks continue to struggle to find any sort of rhythm this season.

In the 17 games that Kristaps Porzingis has played, he has averaged 20.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. The Dallas Mavericks, however, are still out of the top eight in the Western Conference and are struggling defensively to hold stronger teams around the league.

Porzingis' return from injury hasn't really boosted the Dallas Mavericks' performances in that department either. This has led the Mavs front office to consider their options in a bid to revive their season at the expense of trading the Unicorn.

The latest NBA trade rumors suggest that the former New York Knicks' star has been offered to the Golden State Warriors, as reported by Ian Bagley.

The Mavs reached out to the Warriors to gauge interest in a Kristaps Porzingis trade, per @IanBegley https://t.co/oaORR34Zae pic.twitter.com/KGJEs1LyWQ

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 23, 2021

NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State Warriors could be the next destination for Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis

One of the reasons why Dallas Mavericks could be looking to find a new destination for Kristaps Porzingis is his injury record in recent years. The Lativian international has already missed 12 games for the franchise.

Kristaps Porzingis was named second-team All-Bubble in Orlando last year after averaging 30.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. He was phenomenal in their 1st-round playoff matchup against the LA Clippers until a severe knee injury sidelined him. But ever since the start of the 2020-21 NBA campaign, he just hasn't been able to deliver as well as he did in the bubble. The Dallas Mavericks have had a - 4.7 net rating post-Porzingis's return to action.

To top that the criticism he has received has been off the charts. A Western Conference executive in a conversation with B/R mentioned:

"It looks like it's impossible for him to get in a stance. He looks like a scarecrow out there," one Western Conference executive said. "You don't expect him to necessarily be great from the jump, but I've watched Porzingis a couple of times this year, and I'm not sure the guy can guard anybody."

Dallas has started quietly gauging Kristaps Porzingis’ trade value, according to league sources. On the Mavericks’ precarious position, and the 7’3” giant’s defensive decline: https://t.co/Dhi8b9KoiM

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) February 23, 2021

It makes sense for the Dallas Mavericks to make a move soon, as the league enters a crucial stage. With the Western Conference already stacked, it would be ideal for the Mavs to snap up a much better defensive player than Kristaps Porzingis in a bid to qualify for the playoffs.