The New York Knicks shocked the NBA world this past week when they traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks, a move that no one saw coming.
The deal reportedly followed a tense meeting between Porzingis and Knicks executives in which the 23-year-old eventually demanded a trade.
However, Knicks president Steve Mills says that it was Porzingis who called the meeting to tell New York that he did not want to play for the organization any longer.
Mills also said that the Knicks had to get a deal done before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, which is why they rushed in moving the big man:
“If we let this go beyond the 7th, the leverage completely shifted,” said Mills, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “We would not have control of the situation.”
Porzingis' frustration with the Knicks' organization had been building for a long time, dating back to the days of Phil Jackson.
The Latvian was originally selected by New York with the fourth overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, a selection that was met with boos and angst from Knicks fans.
However, once Porzingis demonstrated his immense talent during his rookie campaign, the city quickly fell in love with the 7-foot-3 phenom, and it looked like Porzingis was going to become the Knicks' first legitimate franchise player since Patrick Ewing.
Things then took a turn for the worse last year when Porzingis tore his ACL in February, an injury that has kept him sidelined until this day.
Obviously, things did not ultimately work out for Porzingis in the Big Apple.
Follow Us
Subscribe