JULY 12: Porzingis’ new deal with the Mavericks is now official, the team announced today in a press release.
JUNE 30: The Mavericks and Porzingis quickly reached agreement on a five-year, maximum-salary contract when free agency opened, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the deal is fully guaranteed, and the Mavs didn’t push for any injury protection or incentives.
Porzingis’ new deal will be worth $158,253,000.
JUNE 25: The Mavericks will meet with Kristaps Porzingis when free agency opens on June 30, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the team intends to offer a full maximum-salary contract to its top restricted free agent.
Based on current cap projections, a five-year max deal for Porzingis would work out to just over $158MM.
The Mavericks were always expected to be aggressive with Porzingis in free agency, despite the fact that he missed the entire 2018/19 season due to an ACL tear. Dallas surrendered a handful of assets – including multiple first-round picks – and took on a pair of multiyear contracts in order to acquire Porzingis from the Knicks prior to this year’s trade deadline.
The club’s intent was to build around KP and Luka Doncic, and it looks like that plan remains very much on track. According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (via Twitter), Porzingis has forged a strong connection with Doncic since arriving in Dallas and has enjoyed his experience with team owner Mark Cuban.
While Porzingis hasn’t played since 2017/18, he looked excellent during that season, averaging 22.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.4 BPG with a .439/.395/.793 shooting line in 48 games for the Knicks, earning his first All-Star nod. He’s expected to be fully healthy for the 2019/20 season.
The fact that the Mavericks are prepared to make a substantial long-term investment in Porzingis suggests that the team may not believe the rape accusation he’s facing is fully credible. After dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace last year, the franchise figured to be extra cautious as it navigated the Porzingis case.
Although Porzingis’ starting salary on a max deal projects to be worth more than $27MM, the Mavs can retain some extra cap flexibility by not officially completing the deal right away. Until it’s finalized, KP’s cap hold will be just $17MM, creating an extra $10MM in cap room for the club, which currently projects to have close to $30MM in space. Once that space is used, Dallas can go over the cap to re-sign Porzingis.
The Mavs have also officially tendered Porzingis his qualifying offer, ensuring that he’ll be a restricted free agent, per RealGM’s transactions log.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
He’s going to need the money to pay off his accuser to stay out of jail.
The only criminal investigation is of her. For trying to be paid off.
marc cubans also under sexual assault investigation in portland, oregon he “allegedly touched a girl while she was blacked-out drunk”, social media has pictures of the incident. oddly the district attorney’s been sitting on the case.
What does that have to do with KP ?
617 is a troll, obviously can’t stand anyone being successful.
Cuban made mistakes with his choices of employees. He and the organization have corrected it. This bum always wants to throw our allegations he doesn’t have proof of. Share a link of the social media photos if they exist otherwise shut up already
that contract is probably gonna be 3 1/2 years too long.
Wow, $10MM per game for him.
Also pray for no chemistry issues. These guys haven’t played a minute together yet. That’s a lot of money committed (not to Luca as well).
I think we have the next Chandler Parsons deal here. Or the next John Wall deal. Or the next Chris Paul deal. Take your pick.
OVERPAY
Wanna see which of the people who thought the Knicks were crazy to move him for a haul bring themselves to calling this a good move.
*Rick James voice* ….cocaine’s a helluva drug…heh hmph heh heh heh…
KP will be fine. He is a lot younger than all those mistakes mentioned above.
He’ll def be fine. The Mavs won’t.
kp’s a special unicorn – only a dummy like marc cuban would do this
The real issue is how KP’s brother feels about it.
That will be such a great deal for Dallas, the future will belong to them with Luka & KP6 + whatever they can add this summer, next year they are guaranteed back to the play offs. Dallas been real smart here, great move with great upside & only a little bit of danger that it might not go so well.
KP looks straight off the runway of a travel-themed Fashion Week show in that picture, complete with a jaunty carryall and those long and lean supermodel proportions.
LeBron should ask for a raise.