Thu, Jan 31, 2019 at 4:22pm

MAVS, KNICKS COMPLETE A BLOCKBUSTER!

The Dallas Mavericks acquired center/forward Kristaps Porzingis, guard/forward Tim Hardaway Jr. and guards Trey Burke and Courtney Lee from the New York Knicks for guard Dennis Smith Jr., center DeAndre Jordan, guard/forward Wesley Matthews, a first-round draft pick in 2021 and a protected first-round draft pick in 2023.

What does it give the Dallas Mavericks
Wow! This trade may have reverberations for some time to come. In Porzingis, the Mavericks add a true franchise player and unique big man to pair with their rookie franchise player and unique playmaker in Luka Doncic. The MAJOR caveat here is the health of the 7'3" Porzingis, dubbed 'The Unicorn'. He has yet to play a game in 2018-19 due to a torn ACL that required surgery. Obviously, the Mavs are banking on Porzingis making a full recovery (probably before the end of this season). Hardaway Jr. will likely replace Matthews in the lineup as a like-for-like swap, while Burke and Lee add more guard depth. Both will probably serve as backups in Dallas. Losing Jordan's presence in the middle hurts Dallas for now, at least until Porzingis returns to action. Smith Jr. was expected to be moved because both he and Doncic need the ball in their hands a lot.

What does it give the New York Knicks
The Knicks traded away their best player (when healthy) a few days after New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis requested a trade out of the Bayou. Clearly, New York did not feel confident that Davis was an option in any Porzingis trade. However, perhaps the Knicks' added draft pick depth may now place them in position to land Davis via trade. Otherwise, this trade dumps salary and strengthens New York's lottery position (with Duke star Zion Williamson the main prize in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft), as well as its free agency position for this summer. In Smith Jr., the Knicks land a quality point guard for the future (or a great asset to move?) and a player who should be more comfortable out of Doncic's shadow. Jordan is a veteran center who helps New York right away, while Matthews may not be long for the Big Apple (he may be waived).

Fantasy impact
Porzingis is a major fantasy wild card right now because of his injury history. However, he could become an elite player for fantasy leaguers when paired with Doncic (who is quickly headed to similar status as a rookie). Smith Jr. is another player who should benefit greatly from this trade. He will run New York's offense for the foreseeable future (unless the Knicks bring in a new point guard this summer--Kyrie Irving?). Jordan moves from a playoff contender in Dallas to an also-ran in New York, so his fantasy value takes a dip here. The rest of the players involved here (Hardaway Jr., Matthews, Burke and Lee) remain unchanged after this trade, and at this time it is unsure how (or even if) they will be used.