DALLAS (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis won’t play for the Mavericks this season while continuing his recovery from a knee injury after Dallas acquired the 2018 All-Star in a blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Monday he envisions Porzingis forming a Euro star pairing with 19-year-old rookie Luka Doncic for years to come even though the 7-foot-3 Latvian can become a restricted free agent after this season.
Porzingis said the plan all along was to sit out the season. He spoke two days shy of the one-year anniversary of tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a game. At the time, he was considered the cornerstone of the New York franchise.
The Knicks made the seven-player trade last week on the same day they said Porzingis asked to be traded.
Dallas also acquired guards Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke and Courtney Lee. New York added point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, along with guard Wesley Matthews and center DeAndre Jordan.
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