It was a rough day for Knicks fan, who learned via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that New York finalized a deal with the Dallas Mavericks to trade away Kristaps Porzingis. The relationship between the Latvian big nicknamed “the unicorn” and the Knicks fan base may have started on the wrong foot, as Porzingis was booed on draft night almost four years ago, but he quickly grew to become a fan favorite.

For many fans of the New York franchise, Kristaps remained the beacon of hope and source of optimism among a myriad of turbulence. Amidst troubles with previous franchise star Carmelo Anthony, the Phil Jackson saga, and three straight years under .500, the bright future of Kristaps Porzingis let Knick fans sleep tight knowing the franchise would eventually find its way.

The trading of Porzingis, especially given what the team got in return, should make fans irate. However, the key word here is “should.” Sadly, this type of behavior has come to be expected by the fan base.

Kristaps Porzingis, Knicks
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Even in just the recent history of the team, there is no shortage of blown opportunities to make this franchise into a formidable opponent for the rest of the league. The first example is the trade bringing in Carmelo Anthony at the deadline in 2011. While Melo was still in his prime and had much to offer as a number one player on a team, the shortsightedness of this move forced New York to gut the roster in order to get him. Sending out impactful players like Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, Anthony arrived to a roster that still needed much help and could only finish 42-40 on the season, good for a first round exit in the playoffs.

Many troubling moves would follow in the timeline of the team. For instance, the drafting of Tim Hardaway Jr. with the 24th pick in 2013 was fantastic on part of New York’s front office. However, they would eventually trade him to the Atlanta Hawks. In 2017, though, they would sign Hardaway to a multi-year contract so pricey that the Hawks would pass up matching the offer sheet.

Some moves had nothing to do with the roster. The Knicks’ trouble keeping a coach has plagued the team and part of the reason that Kristaps became so disgruntled with the franchise. During his time with New York, Porzingis saw four different coaches at the helm within just four seasons. Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Jeff Hornacek, and David Fizdale have all been a part of the revolving door that is the New York Knicks head coaching position. This was primarily due to the mishandling of the position of President of Basketball Operations by Phil Jackson.

Knicks

While a legend in the NBA as a head coach, Jackson’s time with the team was shaky. Phil refused to scout the way that was needed for the position and was insistent on the team running the triangle- even to the detriment of the team. He even had potential Knicks’ draft picks eating raw meat during their predraft meetings. The dysfunction brought onto the organization by way of Jackson played another giant role in Porzingis’ uncertainty of his desire to stay with the team long-term.

The Knicks will head into the summer at the end of this season with a ton of salary cap room, a potentially great lottery pick, and some young talent. However, looking back out how they have mishandled just about everything else in recent history, many fans aren’t likely reassured that things will be alright any time soon.