Latvian sensation Kristaps Porzingis might have kicked off the off-season craze after he posted an unexplained message on his Twitter page on Saturday.
According to Mark W. Sachez of the New York Post, the Knicks star tweeted a message that says ‘LA Clippers’ with three smiling faces. He immediately deleted the social media message, but it was enough to stir debates over his future in the Big Apple.
Did the Clippers inquire for Porzingis?
It’s no secret that the Clippers have been in contact with the Knicks for a potential blockbuster trade. However, the general belief among NBA insiders was that the trade discussion was centered around acquiring Anthony, and not Porzingis.
On Friday, Ian Begley of ESPN New York reported that multiple teams inquired about the availability of Porzingis after the former no.4 overall pick skipped the Knicks exit meetings three weeks ago. Although the Knicks immediately turned down trade offers for Porzingis, it nevertheless indicates how much of a trade value the Latvian big man could command on the trade market.
Porzingis, who averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds last season, is still under contract for two more years. He’s scheduled to pocket $4.5MM in year 3 of his rookie deal and $5.7MM (team option) in year four before he becomes eligible for a contract extension.
Regarding Porzingis’ social media message, no reports have surfaced yet regarding the Clippers’ interest in the 7-foot-3 star, but that won’t rule out the possibility that they are one of the teams that called the Knicks’ front-office following Porzingis’ absence during the exit meetings.
Point guard prospect
In his Knicks off-season preview article, Keith P. Smith of RealGM run through several free-agent point guards the Knicks could target this off-season. Jrue Holiday, George Hill and Jeff Teague top the wish-list, but it won’t be surprising if team president Phil Jackson make a strong push for Golden State Warriors’ playmaker Shaun Livingston.
Jackson has been eyeing Livingston for quite some time. Smith also thinks the veteran playmaker would fit in nicely with the Knicks’ triangle offense.
Other than free-agency, the Knicks also hope they can find an excellent playmaking prospect to groom in this year’s NBA Draft. According to Pro Basketball reporter David Pick, the Knicks are interested in using their lottery pick for French point guard Frank Ntilikina. In fact, Knicks general manager Steve Mills was one of several NBA executives in attendance to scout Ntilikina, who is listed at 6-foot-5.
