The Atlanta Hawks center shares his opinion on his friend and former teammate Luka Doncic's trade and its consequences, admitting he is still stunned, even almost a year after the move.
In the 2019 winter, Kristaps Porzingis was trying to find his way in the NBA at Madison Square Garden.
Meanwhile, the rookie Luka Doncic was trying to figure out his path to the championship as he learned the secrets of the NBA under a 40-year-old Dirk Nowitzki's wing in Dallas.
Then, the Latvian and the Slovenian crossed paths.
The Dallas Mavericks landed the then 23-year-old center alongside Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, and Tim Hardaway Jr. in an exchange that sent DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and Dennis Smith Jr. to the New York Knicks.
Despite the love Porzingis received in New York, his development stalled, and he failed to reach championship-level success with the Knicks.
The Knicks hadn't even made any playoff appearance since Porzingis' arrival in 2015, and the center was recovering from an ACL injury.
Credit AFP – Scanpix
However, the Mavericks saw in the Latvian a partner in crime who needed Luka Doncic, a 19-year-old who had already started dropping jaws.
Both appeared to be meant to fit together as two young talents who already knew each other from their time in Spain, with the point guard in Madrid and the center in Seville.
They were, and still are, unorthodox geniuses, jarring basketball anomalies, each in its own way.
While Doncic is a 6'7" point guard able to post up and dominate despite his lack of athleticism, Porzingis can shoot from any range as a seven-footer.
Doncic and Porzingis, a failed partnership
However, the promising duo ultimately failed. The Mavericks didn't go past the first round in the playoffs as injuries continued to hit the Latvian center.
The partnership ended prematurely early in 2022, when Dallas traded Porzingis to Washington.
The buzz that both stars weren't getting along surfaced as soon as the trade materialized. But both Luka and Kristaps shut down these rumors, assuring that the lack of chemistry was only a basketball matter and that the relationship was great off the court.
They openly addressed these rumours before the 2024 NBA Finals between the Mavericks and the Celtics, which Boston won.
Credit Reuters - Scanpix
Porzingis has never held a grudge against the point guard.
As a good friend and former teammate of the Lakers star, his opinion on the still-shocking Doncic trade to the Lakers might be one of the most legitimate.
Asked about whether the move instigated by General Manager Nico Harrison can be considered a betrayal of Doncic, this is what Porzingis said.
"It's hard to say what happened, how we got to that point. Luka is Luka," Porzingis told BasketNews.
"That's hard to say. I wasn't there anymore, honestly. It's hard to say what happened, how we got to that point. Luka is Luka. How are you going to trade Luka? It's a weird situation, it's something we've never seen before, and I think it was a shocker to everybody," the former Slovenian's teammate said.
"You could see by the reaction of Dallas fans how they felt about the whole thing. Even Luka, coming back and tearing up. So, it was emotional, it's hard to speak. I haven't spoken to him about it, but I wish him nothing but the best. And I wish nothing but the best for my former home and former club, the Mavericks," Porzingis said.
The fans' discontent and rage that Porzingis refers to led to the Mavericks firing Nico Harrison, as the constant "Fire Nico" chants were heard at the American Airlines Arena.
With the first anniversary of the unbelievable Doncic trade approaching, the move continues to raise eyebrows and roll eyes.
Even in someone like Kristaps Porzingis, who, for better or worse, has experienced firsthand the dry-feelings business side of the NBA.
Toni Canyameras
Toni Canyameras began his basketball media career in 2021, covering FC Barcelona. He became a fan of the sport thanks to Barça and the Japanese manga series Slam Dunk. Toni moved to Toronto in 2022 and has since been covering the NBA from a European perspective, reporting on games, All-Star weekends, and the Summer League. He holds a degree in Journalism, a Master's Degree in Sports Journalism in Spain, and a Postgraduate in Journalism in Canada.
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