Former New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis is going to have a hard time turning down a max contract offer from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks are ready to fully invest in a future with Kristaps Porzingis. After making a blockbuster trade to acquire the Latvian superstar from the New York Knicks, the Mavs plan to offer KP the full five-year, $158 million max contract according to Shams Charania of the Athletic.
Porzingis could decline the offer and accept a one-year qualifying offer worth less than $5 million so he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2020. However, it will be difficult for the injury-prone star to turn down that kind of long-term stability.
It’s easy to forget because of all the drama that has surrounded Porzingis in recent years, but the Latvian 7-footer can still be one of the top players in the league when he’s healthy. Before his injury in February of 2018, Porzingis was averaging 22.7 points on 39.5% three-point shooting while also amassing a ridiculous 2.4 blocks per game.
He was doing things that have rarely been done on a basketball court and he was making it look easy. Porzingis was on his way to his first All-Star Game and was in a position to make a late charge for a potential All-NBA selection. The 23-year-old is a stud and could turn the Mavericks into consistent contenders alongside fellow European Luka Doncic.
Once upon a time, Porzingis was the future savior of the Knicks. The superstar that would lead the team back to the title. But friction between the player and the organization would prove to be too great. The Knicks didn’t want to gamble on losing Porzingis to free agency and made a deal that brought back key assets and cleared valuable salary cap space.
Time will tell which side won the deal.
