Dirk lauds Pachulia trade: 'We got him for a Gatorade cooler'
Dirk Nowitzki is happy to have a friend (and his 500-pound head) in Zaza Pachulia by his side.
Pachulia, who's having a career year in his 13th season, has been arguably the second-best member of the Dallas Mavericks this season. He's putting up 10.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, while ranking as a top-20 player by Defensive Real Plus-Minus.
Nowitzki was sure to praise Pachulia - and team management for acquiring him - after he scored 13 points and added 11 rebounds in their win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
"We got him for a Gatorade cooler and he's been phenomenal for us," Nowitzki said.
The remark was made in reference to the one mere second-round pick that went Milwaukee's way in exchange for the Georgian brute. Needless to say, the trade has been a smash hit for Nowitzki and company.
Moreover, Pachulia has offset the loss of DeAndre Jordan, who famously reneged on his agreement to sign in Dallas in favor of a return to the Los Angeles Clippers. The sudden betrayal left the Mavericks scrambling for options, but they found an unlikely source of production in Pachulia.
The Bucks, meanwhile, are nine games under .500 without their former pivot, but the Pachulia trade wasn't even the first time Dallas fleeced them.
Swapping Nowitzki for Robert Traylor will always haunt the Bucks franchise.