The New York Knicks‘ team president Phil Jackson announced earlier this week that Latvian forward and former fourth pick in the draft, Kristaps Porzingis, is available to be traded, which set the NBA world on fire.
Porzingis' combination of size and shot-making ability make him a rare commodity, so it is no surprise that there were teams calling Jackson as soon as he made the announcement.
The first three franchises on the phone with Jackson, per Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog, were the 76ers, Suns, and Spurs, with the Celtics also preparing a package for the European big man. The Knicks currently hold the 8th pick in the draft, and the presumption is that the packages offered for Porzingis contained the first, third, or fourth pick from Philadelphia, Boston, and Phoenix, respectively.
As a possible replacement for Porzingis, the Knicks might be looking at a 7-foot Finish forward from Arizona in Luka Markkanen. Markkanen has a similar skillset to Porzingis, but has a lower upside, and many analysts agree that Porzingis will be a much better NBA player, barring injuries. Markkanen himself dislikes comparisons between him and Porzingis, as he stated in a short interview with Yaron Weitzman for Bleacher Report.
“A little bit,” Markkanen said. “but I know why it’s there, the comparisons, European guys who can shoot. It’s a great honor for me, to be compared to those guys, but I don’t like to talk about it too much.”
The story about Markkanen meeting with the Knicks issued waves of stories about Porzingis' future in the Big Apple, especially due to earlier reports about Porzingis skipping his exit interview out of frustration. Reportedly, Porzingis is not happy with how the organization is treating their biggest star, Carmelo Anthony, and that is why he skipped his exit interview.
However, statements from Porzingis' brother, Janis, might ease the worry for Knicks fans who want their unicorn to stay.
“Despite how the Knicks are treating their players, Kris wants to stay in New York,” said Janis in an interview with ESPN's Ian Begley. “He loves the city and he loves the fans and he wants to win with this team. If he’s going to be traded, he’s going to play out his contact and decide his future on his own.”
As previously stated, the Knicks have the 8th selection in the upcoming draft, but it is unclear whether Markkanen will be available at the 8th spot. Some mock drafts have him at number seven, going to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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