Mavericks' Kristaps Porzingis Without Timetable for Return from Knee Injury

Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis does not have a timetable to return from right knee soreness, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Thursday (via Mavs.com's Dwain Price).

Porzingis was ruled out of the Mavs' game against the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night after becoming a late scratch from their 106-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

An anonymous source told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that the Mavericks are "just being cautious" when asked if the injury should be considered a significant concern.

Porzingis has averaged 17.3 points on 40.3 percent shooting, 9.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 31 games (all starts) for the 21-12 Mavs.

It's an unfortunate setback for the 24-year-old star, who missed a season-and-a-half with a torn ACL after finishing a dunk and landing awkwardly while a member of the New York Knicks in February 2018.

The Knicks traded Porzingis, who averaged 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in his final season in New York, to the Mavs in Jan. 2019.

Dallas sat him for the remainder of the season before signing a five-year, $158,253,000 contract that can keep him in a Mavs uniform through 2023-24.

Filling Porzingis' void in the lineup will be near-impossible, but the Mavs have some options in his absence.

Dwight Powell, who has started at center alongside KP, should undoubtedly get more run to fill up the frontcourt minutes. The forward/center has averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game.

Maxi Kleber should also see more playing time: The 27-year-old has scored 8.3 points on 44.7 percent shooting and grabbed 5.6 rebounds.

Regardless of how the Mavs choose to replace Porzingis, they will be hard-pressed to fill in Porzingis' gap. But with Rookie of the Year and potential future perennial All-Star Luka Doncic running the show, the Mavs could at least stay afloat until Porzingis returns.