The trade: DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and two future first-round picks to the New York Knicks for Kristaps Porziņģis, Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee

This Jan. 2019 blockbuster marked one of the Mavs' most significant attempts to find a co-star for Luka Dončić. There were reasons to think it might work, too.

While Porziņģis was rehabbing from a torn ACL at the time of the trade, his healthy version seemed like an intriguing fit for Dončić, since he could protect the paint on defense and roll or pop on screen plays at the other end.

Upon returning to the court, though, Porziņģis struggled to stay on it. Even when he could, his mobility wasn't the same. He also never really established an offensive rhythm with Dončić, as the two couldn't get—or at least stay—on the same page.

"On paper, it would be the perfect fit, but it just didn't mesh the way that we wanted to," Porziņģis told Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer last December. "We just did not mesh together well. Sometimes it's like that in the workplace, you know? It just didn't work out the way you expected."

This trade would haunt the Mavs more if Smith turned into a star or those picks yielded anything of substance (the first was spent on Keon Johnson, the second hasn't conveyed yet), but it was still a hefty cost in terms of assets.

Plus, Dallas surely can't help but wonder what could have been since Porziņģis appears back on track since the Mavs sent him packing at the 2022 trade deadline for a minimal return (Spencer Dinwiddie and Dāvis Bertāns).