Why OKC Thunder should avoid any deal for Kristaps Porzingis

With the OKC Thunder rescinding Svi Mykhailiuk’s qualifying offer he became an unrestricted free agent and was quickly picked up by the Toronto Raptors.

That move means Sam Presti has an open roster spot. Presently, the VP has inked his two 2-way players (Aaron Wiggins and Josh Hall) along with *14 varsity contracts.

This weekend the last big free agent came off the board as Lauri Markkanen was sent to Cleveland via a sign and trade. This means any big moves yet to occur in the offseason will likely come via trades.

Several teams are looking to bolster their cores or move players that don’t fit their current roster. And while the Thunder have an open spot don’t expect Presti to simply jump on any young player simply because they have the most to offer.

*NOTE: This is based on Charlie Brown Jr’s deal being non-guaranteed and neither Basketball Reference nor Spotrak including Vit Krejci as part of the salaried roster. Therefore technically the team could be at the full complement with Krejci and if they waive Brown.

Why OKC Thunder shouldn’t trade for Kristaps Porzingis

For example, the Mavericks are said to be looking to move Kristaps Porzingis. Initially, the Mavs thought pairing the big man beside superstar Luka Doncic would create a dominant duo, and eventually, they would add a third star to formulate a Big 3.

Yet two consecutive first-round playoff exits only served to amplify the failure of the duo to find success. ESPN writer Tim MacMahon’s article added clarity:

"Then there are questions about the chemistry between Doncic and Porzingis. The Mavs’ franchise cornerstones admittedly aren’t friends, a distant dynamic that team owner Mark Cuban has compared to the early stages of the partnership between Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, which ultimately produced two NBA Finals appearances and a championship.But Porzingis has been frustrated, often feeling more like an afterthought than a co-star as Doncic dominates the ball and the spotlight, sources told ESPN."

When Porzingis was traded to Dallas he was recovering from a torn ACL and the past offseason underwent meniscus surgery. Traded to Dallas on January 31, 2019,  Porzingis remained out injured that season but certainly hasn’t ever shown signs of being an iron man. In 2020 he played 57 games and 43 in 2021.

At 26  and entering his seventh (sixth active) season the biggest question on the table is whether Porzingis would simply be better suited to a different system or if he’s reached his ceiling.

Sure, he’s still producing close to a double-double but his key stats show little growth.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/30/2021.

Alternatively, with the Mavericks tending to play him away from the basket it affects his rebounding and blocks. Equally concerning is his regression defensively with teams exposing him particularly in small-ball lineups. After copious knee injuries, he doesn’t seem to have the lateral movement required.

Any team looking to eat that egregious salary might want to move him closer to the basket but then the question is how resilient is he from a physical standpoint. Would guards expose him with their quickness since he couldn’t move to stop them and how would he hold up against the league’s big men?

The main consideration for Presti beyond adding a top 10 talent or drafting one who can grow into that position is how the player fits the timeline and would mesh with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. At 26 Porzingis is a tad old for the timeline and definitely isn’t a top-10 talent.

As for how SGA and Zinger would mesh there is an argument to be made they could co-exist nicely especially if he was positioned closer to the basket and being the recipient of drop-offs, lobs, and working in pick and roll opportunities with SGA.  Yet, again the dilemma is whether Zinger’s body could withstand playing a role featuring him predominantly in the paint.

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Although the Thunder have a closet full of draft capital unless a top five to 15 level talent becomes available the draft cupboard should remain closed. That doesn’t include adding a veteran talent seeking to resurrect their career that the bespeckled VP could flip for more draft picks.

While the Thunder need to find their center of the future, the Unicorn is arguably better suited to the power forward position. Mark Daigneault’s system is geared toward positionless ball and while the Zinger meets the lengthy prototype the team covets he’s not an ideal fit in the system.

There simply aren’t enough checkmarks to warrant pursuing the Latvian big. Nor should the OKC Thunder want to invest $101.5 million over the next three seasons on Porzingis.

Dallas isn’t seeking draft picks anyway, so the only reason they’d be considering a deal with the Thunder would be to get Porzingis’ contract off the books. Suffice to say, Intentions is giving this trade option a hard pass!