Dallas, Texas — Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, to go along with two first-round playoffs exists and a litany of missed games.

That's it. That's all you get from the Kristaps Porzingis experiment. And it feels like it should have ended far differently than it did on Thursday afternoon.

"I think it wasn't just about [Kristaps Porzingis]," Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said.

Oh, but it was.

Porzingis in the wasteland

It's hard to ignore the shattering weight of expectations that erupted when news broke the Mavericks were moving on from their complicated — but oh so talented — big man.

Porzingis was supposed to be the perfect blend of sugar for Luka Doncic's spice. He was supposed to take the mantle from Dirk Nowitzki as the heir apparent in the lineage of great bigs that played in Maverick blue.

Roy Tarpley, Detlef Schrempf, James Donaldson, Sam Perkins, Nowitzki, … Porzingis?

He played 134 games in Dallas. But his best basketball in a Maverick uniform came in Orlando. He got hurt then too.

How will Porzingis be remembered? Where does his history fall in line with that of the very good but also very mediocre?

Will he still be so exciting but so aggravating to watch in Washington? Will he always be maligned for what he can't do while many ignore the excellence of what he can?

Porzingis goes gently into that good night

He anchored Dallas' defense. One that was top-five in the league when he was healthy in January. But it's the last clause that is cause for a pause; when he was healthy. The part of Porzingis' story no one can ignore.

"It was about really giving ourselves the flexibility that we need to be the team that we want to be," Harrison said. "I think that's really the bottom line. We were able to give ourselves more flexibility and then add more depth."

Dinwiddie and Bertans supposedly add depth. They also split Porzingis' contract into two slightly more moveable pieces. But how likely is that move sometime down the road? Last summer, Dallas flirted with the prospect of bringing in Dinwiddie; a guard whose skills are redundant with both Doncic and Jalen Brunson.

He's also missed a full season with an ACL injury and has looked nothing like the player he was before his knee gave way.

The Mavericks have him now.

Does depth justify the trade? 

Bertans is a shooter paid as though he's a premier perimeter threat. He's shooting 31 percent from three this season; Three percentage points better than Porzingis' 28.3. Yet, Bertans brings none of the rim protection that came with Porzingis.

To Harrison and those in the front office, the Mavericks have more depth now.

Besides, Dallas justified getting rid of its often-injured, expensive, versatile big man because the team has Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, Marquese Chriss, and Boban Marjanovic in its front-court rotation.

Dinwiddie and Bertans add something different. They add something new. They add something fresh. Specifically, Dinwiddie adds 12.7 points per game and Bertans 5.7. Put together, the two don't add up to Porzingis' 19.7 points per game. But don't worry, the Mavericks have depth now.

"I think it's the versatility that it gave us and the depth and the flexibility," Harrison said. "It worked. It made sense."

Does it?

Wanting to make something out of nothing

Porzingis' legacy in Dallas isn't as black and white as many want it to be. He wasn't just another wasted attempt at putting together a roster good enough to compete. He was supposed to be the answer. And at times, he looked like it.

But life isn't fair. Victory isn't always sweet. And defeat is never better.

Dallas lost the initial Porzingis trade with the New York Knicks because of injuries — nothing else. The organization lost the Porzingis trade with Washington on Thursday by choice.

That's something the Mavericks will have to live with. And when that time comes, probably after another first-round playoff loss, there will be no scapegoat to point fingers at. There will only be the justification of depth and versatility when it's star power that wins championships.

"I think we're good enough to compete," Harrison said.  "We aren't scared of anybody. I think we're good enough to compete. It remains to be seen. I also think we also have room for improvement, but I do like the team."

Time will tell.

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Feature image via Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports.