In the summer of 2017, New York Knicks president Phil Jackson was taking trade calls for power Kristaps Porzingis after the 7-footer skipped his exit interview with the team, and the Phoenix Suns were reportedly prepared to offer shooting guard Devin Booker and a swap of draft picks for KP, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks ended up parting ways with Jackson and keeping Porzingis until they traded him to the Dallas Mavericks this season. Porzingis tore his ACL last season and told New York's brass in a meeting this year that he didn't want to remain with the franchise anymore.
The Suns, meanwhile, signed Booker to a lucrative five-year, $158 million maximum contract extension last summer.
Twenty months ago, the Celtics offered a boatload of young assets, and the Suns were prepared to ship Devin Booker and swap a draft pick that would have placed the Knicks in position to draft Lauri Markkanen. Former team president Phil Jackson thought the Finnish big man was built sturdier than Porzingis and would become more durable.
Looks like this failed offered turned out well for both teams. The Suns have a franchise shooting guard in Booker, while the Knicks were able to create salary cap space by sending Porzingis to Dallas and are now in a position to sign two max contract free agents this summer.
New York also acquired point guard Dennis Smith Jr. from the Mavs, a player they should have drafted in 2017 instead of Frank Ntilikina.
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