New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale admits he was “really surprised” when Kristaps Porzingis informed the franchise he wanted to leave.
Porzingis reportedly requested a trade in late January during a meeting with Knicks general manager Scott Perry and president Steve Mills.
The Knicks honored Porzingis' trade request, as they traded the power forward to the Dallas Mavericks on January 31 exchange for center DeAndre Jordan, small forward Wesley Matthews, point guard Dennis Smith Jr., a 2021 first round pick and a 2023 first round pick which is top-10 protected.
When asked about it, Knicks coach David Fizdale acknowledged in an interview with @TMKSESPN that he was ‘really surprised’ when Kristaps Porzingis informed the franchise he wanted to leave in late January.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 12, 2019
Porzingis didn't play at all this season. He's still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered last season with New York.
Fizdale went to Latvia last summer to spend time with Porzingis. The two supposedly had a good time with each other and the Knicks were excited about the potential partnership between the two.
Porzingis' trade request didn't have anything to do with Fizdale, though. KP just didn't want to be part of a losing organization anymore. He's now in Dallas, a franchise which has a really bright future.
The Knicks finished 2018-19 with a record of 17-65. They had the worst record in the Eastern Conference. New York hasn't had a winning record since the 2012-13 season.
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