Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis returned to New York for the first time since being traded by the Knicks nine months ago. While he misses the energy and passion of the fans, his biggest regret is not being able to build something big for them before his trade to the Mavs.

“This is a basketball city,” said Porzingis, according to SNY's Ian Begley. “It just sucks that we never really got to do something big here.”

Porzingis spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Knicks, though part of his 2017-18 season was cut short due to an ACL tear, while he also missed all of the 2018-19 season before being traded to the Mavs.

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His first season brought the fans some sense of hope after he was booed to pieces when drafted fourth overall in 2015. Averages of 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in his second season were enticing, but that was marred with his unhappiness with the franchise after seeing how his teammate and mentor Carmelo Anthony was constantly bashed by management.

That all came to a head in his third season, despite a career-best 22.7 points through the first 48 games of the season. The torn ACL forced him to miss the remaining of the season, and his discontent with the front office was never more clear than then.

The following season, Porzingis requested a trade prior to the trade deadline, reportedly due to irreconcilable differences with management and their vision for the future.

Now nine games into his career with the Mavs, all that's left is the feel of what it could have been, had he stayed in the city that never sleeps.