CLEVELAND – Kristaps Porzingis will not play in any games for the Dallas Mavericks at any point this season. So said Mavs proprietor Mark Cuban.
“We will hold him and get him ready,” Cuban told Mavs. com, referring to next season.
The Mavs want to be cautious with the way they handle Porzingis and his health issue.
“Kristaps has got more rehab to go,” coach Rick Carlisle said following Saturday morning’s shootaround at Quicken Loans Arena. “The most important thing is his health and getting back to being 100 percent, and actually better than 100 percent.”
While playing for the New York Knicks last season, Porzingis suffered a torn left anterior cruciate ligament during a Feb. 6 game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He missed the remaining 28 games last season and has yet to play in any games this season.
The Mavs pulled off a blockbuster trade this past Thursday when they acquired Tim Hardaway Jr, Trey Burke, Courtney Lee and Porzingis from the Knicks for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and a pair of first-round draft picks. Of course, Porzingis is the main player in the deal from the Mavs’ perspective, but it is not known when he’ll be ready to make his debut for the Mavs.
Meanwhile, Carlisle said he expects all of the players involved in the trade to have their physicals completed by Sunday night. At that point, by NBA rules, those players can actually start playing for their respective new team.
The Mavs don’t want to prematurely play Porzingis and jeopardize him having a setback or getting hurt again.
“Guys nowadays come off ACLs and actually do better,” Carlisle said. “So (getting Porzingis healthy is) going to be our number one goal.
“But it’s a huge trade involving a lot of guys and the excitement is understandable. But it’s not all going to happen overnight.”
Porziginis and the new members of the Mavs will be introduced to the Dallas/Fort Worth media during a press conference on Monday at 1:30 p.m. American Airlines Center.
“We’re excited about the future,” Carlisle said. “I think that’s the simplest way to put it.”
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