5 unfortunately plausible Kristaps Porzingis trades that would destroy the Knicks
By Trey Daubert
Today in “adding insult to injury,” what are five plausible, yet franchise debilitating trades the Knicks could potentially consider for Kristaps Porzingis?
Is Knicks President Phil Jackson crazy enough to trade Kristaps Porzingis? According to the latest reports, it’s growing possibility. Drafting Porzingis is frankly the one thing Jackson has gotten right so far during his Knicks tenure, and now he seems set to undo it.
Kristaps Porzingis was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. It’s safe to say he would likely be the second pick in that draft if it were re-drafted today. The Lakers and 76ers both passed on Porzingis to select D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor respectively. Porzingis, 21, has given Knicks fans something to be excited about the past two years.
The 7-foot-3 big man from Latvia has the looks of a transcendent star. Porzingis averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The thing that makes Kristaps so special is his shooting ability for a stretch-five, as he knocked down 35.7 percent of his attempts from behind the arc this past year.
How did the Knicks relationship with Porzingis sour and get to this point? After skipping the team’s exit meeting, the two parties haven’t seen eye to eye in quite some time. Janis Porzingis, Kristaps brother/agent, met with Phil Jackson but did nothing to smooth over the bad blood. Even the biggest Knicks skeptics couldn’t have foreseen this happening.
The dysfunction within the franchise goes beyond the feud with Porzingis. The unwillingness to move away from the triangle, the negative remarks to LeBron James, the improper treatment of Carmelo Anthony, and the Charles Oakley ejection all define what’s wrong with the Knicks as of late. Maybe it’s time to blow up this roster completely or fire Phil Jackson, whichever one comes first?
Hypothetically speaking, if Kristaps Porzingis is traded, let’s put him in a place with the best chance to succeed, while simultaneously ruining the Knicks (before they beat us to it).
Kristaps seems to have an affinity for playing in Los Angeles after his mystery tweet a few weeks ago. The cryptic tweet by Porzingis featured ‘Clippers with a smiley face emoji’. At first glance, this probably isn’t enough for the Knicks but DeAndre Jordan would have to be the headliner in a deal.
The problem with this deal is the cap figures aren’t close. Jordan’s cap hold of slightly over $22 million would eat up the rest of their salary cap space and take them out of the market for any potential free agent signings. However, maybe that’s not such a bad thing considering the Knicks handed out that egregious Joakim Noah contract. Trading for Jordan would essentially admit the failures in the recent Noah deal and maybe allow them to deal Noah in a salary dump attempt.
Dealing for Jordan is almost a win now attempt in a way. Jordan, 28, is one of the best centers in the league and could potentially improve the Knicks in the here and now. Let’s face it if New York misses the playoffs this year, Phil Jackson has to get fired right? Maybe Phil Jackson is living in the past and still, think DeAndre Jordan is the next coming of Shaquille O’Neal?
The Clippers would be wise to pursue a Porzingis trade if the opportunity presents itself. The big three of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and Jordan isn’t working. In an attempt to make the franchise’s first ever Conference Finals appearance, Porzingis gives Clippers fans hope. It’s now or never for Los Angeles’ less heralded franchise as CP3, J.J. Redick, and Blake are all impending free agents this summer. The Clippers appear to be players for Paul George this summer as well.