Phil Jackson‘s willingness to offer Kristaps Porzingis in a trade didn't come without a poison pill to tag along with, looking to unload Joakim Noah‘s hefty contract along with the 7-foot-3 unicorn in any trade scenario, according to a dual report by ESPN's Ian Begley and Ramona Shelburne.
Noah was signed a four-year, $72 million deal last offseason, one that has proven to be a huge mistake as his injury history has come back to haunt the Hell's Kitchen native throughout his first season as a Knickerbocker.
The only two substantial trade offers were the ones made to the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns, with others falling on deaf ears due to Jackson's high asking price.
New York intended to land Boston's third overall pick, a second 2017 lottery pick (to be acquired via trade, potentially Minnesota‘s No. 7, per Begley) and an additional player — Jaylen Brown, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart were among the ones in conversation.
That No. 7 pick eventually was traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the Jimmy Butler deal, rendering the trade offer null.
A trade with Phoenix didn't include Noah in the deal, but was rather a straight up exchange of shooting guard Devin Booker and the No. 4 overall selection for Porzingis — one that the Suns scoffed at, immediately saying Booker was off limits.
Jackson is trying to mend one of the two huge mistakes he made last offseason, given that Rose will be an unrestricted free agent come July.
One thing is for certain, the Zen Master has a type when it comes to draft night — seniors and international players only — with the Knicks being the only franchise to avoid taking a freshman, sophomore, or junior in college since 2014.
Since Phil Jackson took over in 2014, Knicks are the only team that has not drafted a freshman, sophomore or junior. pic.twitter.com/0p8ILMHDFJ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 23, 2017
Coincidence much? — Not if you think it through.
Jackson has been hellbent on running the triangle system since his arrival in New York, trading for a pivot center in Noah, which hasn't worked out — and getting a penetrating point guard in Rose, which hasn't worked out as his game has taken a more conservative approach.
Seniors are expected to have a lot more experience running different systems through their college career and being more basketball savvy when it comes to having an overall feel for the game. International players often see a variety of systems through their career overseas, making it easier to teach the now-defunct offensive system to them.
Yet Jackson has had several swing-and-misses throughout his stint at the helm of the front office, making many (besides ownership, of course) question his methodology and how far he'd be willing to go to get his basketball nirvana in the Big Apple.
Trading Noah will be step one, but the terrifying prospect of many steps to come is what has had Knicks fans clamoring for his exit from the franchise after enough years of ineptitude.
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