The New York Knicks are unlikely to offer fourth-year forward Kristaps Porzingis a contract extension this offseason, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.
Instead, they could choose to do so in 2019, when a friendlier salary cap will kick in, allowing them to offer him a max deal while they shed contracts throughout this summer and before the trade deadline.
General manager Scott Perry has kept this rather close to the vest, but both sides could benefit from waiting another year, as Porzingis could get a slightly more lucrative deal with the expanding cap next year.
“We'll continue to stay in touch with Kristaps,” Perry said in Las Vegas on Tuesday, per ESPN's Nick Friedell. “He's part of our long-term plan. But, we'll get all that figured out at the appropriate time in terms of when we get into that negotiation. We're comfortable with were at with him and we'll work together with he and his representation to figure something out.”
There is also a certain concern with his recent injury, a torn ACL, which has proved problematic for many stars before. Standing at a towering 7-foot-3, Porzingis will have much of his balance and an enormous amount of torque on his knee and the Knicks will need to ensure it's stable enough to gamble on a multi-year deal.
“We're in constant contact with him about his rehab and just about he and the Knicks moving forward,” said Perry.
Much of the rift between Porzingis and the Knicks have been repaired after a year's term of this new front office, as well as new coach David Fizdale recently reaching out and spending time with the Latvian international, smoothing things out prior to the start of the 2018-19 season.
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