The NBA world can be something of a feeding frenzy, with 30 teams all competing for a very limited resource in the form of superstar players. As such, when one potentially becomes available, even if it’s long shot, the vultures begin to circle. Such was the case recently when teams called the New York Knicks inquiring about future star Kristaps Porzingis.
The Latvian big man was selected by the Knicks in the 2015 NBA Draft with the fourth pick and has gone on to become one of the NBA’s most promising young talents. At 7’3″, Porzingis possesses a sweet shooting stroke plus the ability to protect the rim on the defensive end, making him a very rare commodity.
After a tumultuous sophomore campaign in New York, Porzingis opted to skip his exit meeting, which caused rumors of his frustrations with the Knicks and their internal discord to spread like wildfire. According to Ian Begley of ESPN, multiple teams called the Knicks to see if they would consider trading Porzingis:
Several teams reached out to the New York Knicks to talk about possible trades for Kristaps Porzingis in the days after he skipped his exit meeting with team president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills, league sources told ESPN.
It is unclear whether the discussions led to any substantial trade parameters. Teams were inquiring about trading for Porzingis, 21, after he showed his frustration with the direction of the franchise by skipping the meeting.
Of course, teams calling the Knicks about Porzingis is no surprise because he’s an excellent player. It does not, however, mean that New York’s front office is considering trading their prized young player. That said, Porzingis’ own words, from a press conference in Latvia, are sure to keep the rumors flying via Begley:
“I do not want to comment on what happened at the end of the season. I haven’t made any contact with the Knicks,” Porzingis said during a news conference in Latvia late last month, according to a translated version of his remarks.
If Porzingis hasn’t even spoken to the Knicks since skipping his exit meeting, which was scheduled to take place three weeks ago, it may not be a good sign for those hoping he stays in New York long term. Issues like these can certainly be smoothed over, but if New York hasn’t touched base with their star even after the exit meeting mess that would seem to make his future that much more uncertain.
Would the Lakers get involved in potential trade talks? One would have to think so, but then again, so would 28 other teams.
