Kristaps Porzingis will probably not play for the Dallas Mavericks this season as he continues recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee suffered a year ago, team owner Mark Cuban told ESPN.
The Mavs acquired Porzingis as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks on Thursday, believing that the 23-year-old power forward/center who was an All-Star last season can form an elite duo with 19-year-old rookie star Luka Doncic for years to come.
Porizingis, who indicated to Knicks management that he wanted to be traded on Thursday morning, will be a restricted free agent this summer.
The Mavs made the trade with the plan of signing the 7-foot-3 Porzingis to a long-term deal this offseason. Sources said the organization is confident that Doncic and likely-to-retire legend Dirk Nowitzki, one of Porzingis’ idols, can help sell him on staying in Dallas.
“He loves Luka and Dirk,” one source said of Porzingis, whose other option would be to play next season on a qualifying offer, an unprecedented move for a player of his caliber that would cost him millions of dollars.