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In a stunning move, the Knicks cut ties with Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday, trading their 7-foot 3-inch star to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal that could make New York a major player in the free-agent marketplace this July.
The deal, which was first disclosed by The New York Times, came one week before the N.B.A.’s trading deadline and sent shock waves through the league. Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and the guard Trey Burke will all go to Dallas in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., who was a first-round draft pick in 2017, two future first-round picks and the expiring contracts of the veterans DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews.