The Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks are once again linked to each other in the month of June. And while it may seem like Déjà Vu, this situation isn’t necessarily stemming from a competitive standpoint, with both franchises previously meeting in the NBA Finals in 2006 and 2011.
As Miami and Dallas were both eliminated in the first-round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, a lackluster postseason performance from Mavericks big man, Kristaps Porzingis, has spiraled into possible trade-talks for the upcoming offseason.
Porzingis, a hybrid 7’3” big-man could be on the move and the Heat have been spoken of as a potential destination for the 25 year-old All-Star. Drafted fourth overall by the New York Knicks in 2015, Porzingis was traded to Dallas in early 2019, with both sides agreeing to a 5-year and $158 million extension later that summer.
In 43 games-played this season, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks, while shooting nearly 45 percent from the field, 36 percent from three, and 81 percent from the free-throw line. Could the Heat use some of that?