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The Kristaps Porzingis trade, one year later

Photo illustration by Nick Roy / theScore

A week before last year's trade deadline, and five months before an offseason frenzy that would turn the NBA upside down, the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks agreed on a midseason blockbuster.

With Kristaps Porzingis still rehabbing from a torn ACL and set to command a pretty penny as a restricted free agent - and the Knicks fancying themselves a free-agent destination for the league's biggest stars - New York sent the Latvian big man packing.

Porzingis, who not long ago looked like the type of talent who would finally drag the Knicks out of the abyss, was sent to Dallas alongside Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke. In exchange, the Knicks acquired Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, an unprotected 2021 first-round draft pick, and a top-10 protected 2023 first-rounder.

On the one-year anniversary of the deal, let's dive in to how each major party involved has fared since.

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Glenn James / NBA / Getty Images

The move has to be seen as an unabashed success for Porzingis.

Based on reports last season he no longer wanted to be a Knick, it's fair to imagine Porzingis craved three things for his immediate future: to get healthy, to get paid, and to get out of Madison Square Garden. Missions accomplished.

While Porzingis may not be 100% fit - he missed a few weeks this month because of knee soreness - the overall progress is encouraging. The big man's suited up in 36 of 47 games after missing 20 months of action, is averaging more than 30 minutes per game, and has played on back-to-back nights multiple times.

He also signed a five-year, $158-million max contract last summer, and landed on a promising, young team that looks poised to contend in the West for years.

The groundbreaker for that path to contention is obviously Luka Doncic, and one could argue that the downside of Porzingis landing in Dallas is that with a ball-dominant wunderkind running the show, he'll never be the offensive focal point he once was in New York. So far he doesn't seem to mind.

Porzingis is averaging 16.8 points in what's been by far his worst shooting season, which includes a sub-40% mark from the field, but there's no reason to panic. He's getting used to a new offensive role.

In New York, Porzingis was being force-fed for post-ups and isolations, which he wasn't always finishing efficiently. The Mavs have used him as more of a spot-up shooter and floor-spacer for Doncic.

Season Post Up + Iso freq. Spot Up freq. 3PA/FGA
2017-18 33.1% (7.5 poss. per game) 13.1% (2.9) 26%
2019-20 17.2% (3.1 poss. per game) 26.3% (4.8) 43%

The Mavs may be better served running more Doncic-Porzingis pick-and-rolls, but the good news here is Dallas has two stars whose offensive packages complement each other well, and they have years to figure out a perfect synergy. And if Porzingis' 3-point shooting creeps back towards where it was two years ago, when he converted on more than 39% of his long-range attempts, his individual scoring numbers should trend up.

It's also worth noting that during Doncic's four-game injury absence in mid-December, Porzingis averaged 22.5 points and 13.8 rebounds in 35.7 minutes per game to help Dallas go 2-2, which included a win in Philadelphia.

The defensive end has been a smoother transition for Porzingis. He owns a top-15 block rate - ahead of players like Rudy Gobert and Andre Drummond - and a defensive field-goal percentage of 50.2, which ranks second among 25 big men who log at least 30 minutes a night and defend at least five shots at the rim.

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Abbie Parr / Getty Images

An underrated component of this trade for the Mavericks has been the play of Hardaway Jr., who's shooting 39.5% from deep on 6.7 attempts per game, and has become an improved defender.

It's hard enough to trade for a star in the NBA. The Mavericks managed to do so without giving up much in return and landed the second-best player in the deal. That's quite the feat.

Snicker at Hardaway's $20-million salary all you want, but he's been a positive contributor on a Western Conference playoff team. Even if Hardaway picks up his $18.8-million player option for next season, it's not an issue because cap space doesn't mean much this summer due to an underwhelming free-agent class. His large expiring contract also could be an attractive trade chip next season as teams angle for space ahead of a star-studded 2021 class.

In terms of the draft assets Dallas surrendered to make the deal happen, Mavs fans have little to worry about. While disaster or injury can always derail best-laid plans, it seems unlikely the team will fall off next season. The unprotected 2021 pick Dallas sent New York should land in the back half of the first round.

The 2023 pick is top-10 protected in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 before converting to a 2025 second-round pick, instead. There's virtually no risk there.

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Nathaniel S. Butler / NBA / Getty Images

That brings us to the Knicks, whose apologists will remind us that Porzingis reportedly wanted out. He could've signed his qualifying offer to avoid restricted free agency in 2019, and he was damaged goods coming off a devastating knee injury. They'll argue that given those factors, New York couldn't have asked for much more in a trade.

They'd be wrong.

The fact he was coming off such a devastating injury is all the more reason to believe there was no way Porzingis would've turned down guaranteed long-term money just to stick it to the Knicks and reach free agency sooner.

If you're still in denial one year later, ask yourself this: Do you think the Knicks would've traded Porzingis for the same underwhelming package if the front office knew in advance it wasn't going to land a prized free agent last summer?

If the answer is no, then cutting bait with Porzingis had nothing to do with his health and contract status.

The fact of the matter is the Knicks were cleaning house ahead of what owner James Dolan and team management assumed was going to be a free-agency bonanza, and it came back to bite them when none of the top-tier free agents wanted anything to do with what's become of the Knicks' brand.

As for the other players the Knicks acquired in the deal: Matthews was waived a week after the trade, and Jordan walked away in July, adding more insult to injury by joining Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.

Whereas Hardaway's development has been fostered in Dallas, Smith's hit a wall in New York, averaging 5.2 points and 2.6 assists on 34-30-50 shooting. The picks involved in the deal, as mentioned, are unlikely to be game-changers.

Meanwhile, the Knicks continue to hit new lows on and off the court. They're on pace for their second straight 60-loss campaign. They've already fired another coach this season. Their young talent is either stagnating or being blocked by veterans with less upside. Earlier this week, the team engaged in bush-league tactics that resulted in Elfrid Payton being suspended and Marcus Morris being fined for misogynistic remarks.

The Porzingis chapter was supposed to be the one in which the Knicks turned things around. One year later, it's yet another in New York's long horror story, which shows no signs of ending.

Joseph Casciaro is theScore's senior basketball writer

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