NBA Rumors: Mavericks Target Otto Porter From Wizards

The Washington Wizards are still open to trades for several players such as Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. With the February NBA trade deadline fast approaching, it seems that the latter could have better chances of changing teams soon.

The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly expressed interest in 25-year-old cager, hinting that something could go down in the following weeks before the February trade deadline, the Athletic reported.

John Wall, another player that the Wizards are open to trading, would have been another key player up for trade. But a season-ending injury (Achilles) may have just eased him out of the equation since he will be sidelined six to eight months, Fadeawayworld.net said.

For the Wizards, trading away Porter at this point makes sense. He does have one more year left in his current contract before he becomes a free agent. With the turmoil over in Washington, cleaning house rather than wait for another year is seen as the logical solution.

Assuming the Mavericks get it done, they will inherit someone who averaged a career-high 14.7 points last season. He has spent his entire career with the Wizards but can definitely be a big asset to Dallas. Together with Luka Doncic, both can form a formidable partnership that may help the boys of Rick Carlisle do better in the postseason wars.

Porter made his return for the Wizards against the Atlanta Hawks, a game they won 114-98. He came off the bench and played limited minutes after missing the last 10 games due to a quadriceps strain, the Washington Post reported.

Having been out for so long, Porter showed signs of rust. He ended up with nine points on 4-of-8 shooting in 14 minutes of action. Given time, he is expected to regain his old form and be of more help to the Wizards – or another team if something goes down before the Feb. 7 trade deadline.

Getting both Beal and Porter should work well for the Mavs. But seeing that they have their sights honing up the frontcourt, snagging the third pick of the 2013 NBA Draft would be something.

Among the player, the Mavericks could dangle include Wes Matthews, Dwight Powell or even Dennis Smith Jr. Standing 6-foot-8 and the ability to play multiple positions, Porter looms as a sensible addition to complement current players like Doncic and Harrison Barnes. The coming weeks should be very interesting as teams try to move pieces for next season and for the coming NBA playoffs.