What potential Warriors-Mavs Porzingis trade would look like

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The Warriors are approaching the NBA All-Star break treading water. Heading into Tuesday night's game against the New York Knicks, the Warriors sit at 16-15 and in eighth place in the Western Conference.

With the March 25 NBA trade deadline a month away, the Warriors have to decide if it is in their best interest to make a move to both help this year's team and set up the 2021-22 Warriors for success when Klay Thompson returns. As currently constructed, this year's Warriors team is not an NBA title contender, and there is no big fish slated to hit the trade market in the next month who could make them one.

With Bradley Beal intent to stick it out with the suddenly surging Washington Wizards, the biggest name on the block likely will be Kristaps Porzingis, who the Dallas Mavericks reportedly called the Warriors about, trying to gauge their interest in acquiring the 25-year-old.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shot down the report that the Mavericks are shopping the 7-foot-3 big man.

But let's assume the Mavs, who are 14-15 and in ninth place in the West, are sniffing around for a way to offload Porzingis. First of all, it's almost certainly going to be a no for the Warriors.

Could you talk yourself into Porzingis, who has looked slow and less explosive since returning from the torn meniscus he suffered in the bubble, returning to his All-Star form and creating a new Big Three with Steph Curry and Thompson? Sure, you could. That team would still have a concerning roster hole on the wing opposite Thompson, and you'd be banking a lot on Porzingis not getting hurt again. But yes, you could maybe talk yourself into it. He still can score the ball and, once again, only is 25. He's been a shell of his former self defensively though, and that's why the Mavericks, who are about 11 points better defensively with Porzingis off the floor, might be looking to make a move.

Fit aside, let's say Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers slips, hits his head, and has no recollection of Porzingis' injury history or recent defensive issues. Let's say he just remembers him as a unicorn, who was supposed to be one of the next big things in the NBA and is salivating at the thought of building that Curry-Thompson-Porzingis trio. What would that deal look like?

Well, to start, Porzingis is in the second year of a $158.2 million contract that pays him about $29.4 million this season. The Warriors, as you may have heard, are over the luxury tax threshold, which makes trading for big contracts a little tricky.

Yes, you can always add in another team or two, but for this exercise, let's stick with a two-team deal since it makes things less complicated.

Due to the Warriors' salary cap restrictions, they can only receive 125 percent of the money that they send away plus $100,000. That leaves the Warriors with the below option if they wished (they don't) to go after Porzinigs and play for the future.

Trade 1

Warriors receive: Porzingis
Mavs receive: Andrew Wiggins, future protected first-round pick

Wiggins has been extremely consistent for the Warriors. He's averaging 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from 3-point range. He also has become an elite defender and has given the Warriors a much-needed defensive stopper, with Thompson once again missing the season.

Wiggins has been exactly what the Warriors hoped he could be and should be even better when he shifts down a peg in the pecking order when Thompson returns. So ... pass.

Trade 2

Warriors receive: Porzingis, James Johnson, Josh Green
Mavs receive: Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Alen Smailagic

Both teams could elect to really shake things up. This deal would give the Mavs two perimeter defenders they need alongside Luka Doncic but does leave them needing a big man. The Warriors, on the other hand, get a good veteran in James Johnson who is tough and has playoff experience but has had a tough year in Dallas. They also get Green, a talented rookie who was sent to the G League bubble to get more consistent playing time. T

his trade would be a play for the future, but it would leave the Warriors with a massive hole on the wing going forward. No thanks.

Trade 3

Warriors receive: Porzingis, Tyrell Terry, protected first-round pick
Mavs receive: Oubre, James Wiseman, Eric Paschall

The Mavs are looking for some defensive help in the interior and Wiseman, 19, has generational upside, so pairing him with Doncic would be enticing. Getting Oubre also allows them to open up more cap room this offseason if they chose not to re-sign him. Terry was a good shooter at Stanford and has some upside but is a project. If the Warriors are giving up Wiseman, you'd expect them to ask for some sort of draft compensation in return, especially with the question marks surrounding Porzinigis' health.

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There are some other iterations you could make, perhaps sub in Josh Richardson for Johnson in trade two, but you get the gist. There isn't a trade out there that would appear to be good value for the Warriors.

Porzingis looked great in the NBA bubble before suffering the torn meniscus and appeared to be the perfect running mate for Doncic. But since returning in late December, he hasn't been the player he was when bursting onto the scene at Madison Square Garden, or who the Mavs thought he could be when they traded for him in 2019.

The Warriors banking the remainder of Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green's prime on the health of Porzingis is an undertaking that doesn't fit with the "light years" motto that accompanied them to five straight NBA Finals.

There is no doubt the Warriors will look to make a trade this offseason and give Curry and Thompson a better supporting cast to chase titles with. Still, Porzingis isn't the answer, and there's no trade that ends with the Warriors feeling good about what they gave up to acquire a 7-foot-3 unicorn with a lengthy injury history and a question mark where his horn used to be.

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