Many critics felt the Mavericks made a savvy move when they acquired Kristaps Porzingis right before the trade deadline closed. Although he's out with a torn ACL, when Porzingis returns alongside Rookie of the Year, Luka Dončić, they are poised to be a formidable one-two punch that a Western Conference hasn't been this wide-open in years. While he's far from a one-trick pony, with free agency approaching Dallas fans are astonished by how much this unicorn may cost their team.
On Tuesday, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Dallas and Porzingis will hold a meeting once free agency begins on June 30. During this conversation, sources claim Dallas plans to offer Porzingis a five-year max contract worth $158 million.
When healthy, it's hard to claim Porzingis doesn't have game-changing talent. As the only bright spot on a struggling New York Knicks team, KP averaged close to 23 points and seven rebounds. But, the key phrase for this is "when healthy." Since being drafted in 2015, Porzingis has sustained an uncanny amount of injuries. This includes shoulder strains, a troubled Achilles, and the season-ending ACL tear. As a result, fans are not convinced the frail 7-footer is worthy of a max deal.
