The New York Knicks are now accepting offers for young forward Kristaps Porzingis after they met with his possible replacement recently. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Knicks will start listening to rival teams’ pitches for a potential deal involving Porzingis, the Latvian who has made quite a splash in the Big Apple since he was picked fourth overall by New York two years ago.
The New York Daily News reported that the Knicks have been flooded by inquiries and pitches from other teams regarding Porzingis, who has become a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden.
Last season, Porzingis averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. In his two years in New York, Porzingis has averaged 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds.
However, Porzingis did not attend the team’s exit interviews and immediately went to Latvia for a long vacation, apparently disgusted with the team’s troubles, especially with their treatment of veteran Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks are expected to trade Anthony in the summer. Despite this, Kristaps’ brother, Janis, told Ian Begley of ESPN that the forward wants to stay with the team “despite how the Knicks are treating their players."
Knicks’ Phil Jackson met with Porzingis replacement
The Daily News also reported that the Knicks have already started planning for the future without Porzingis.
The Vertical reported that Knicks president phil jackson met with Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen, a 7-foot forward who possesses a range similar to Porzingis. The Knicks plan to take Markkanen with the No. 8 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.
Celtics among those pursuing Porzingis
Ricky Doyle of NESN.com said the Celtics are interested in trading for Porzingis.
The Celtics were slated to pick first overall in the 2017 NBA Draft but traded down to No. 3 with the Philadelphia 76ers. Doyle said it’s unclear what the Celtics will offer for Porzingis but the “Knicks' asking price is probably high." The Knicks reportedly want to get a playmaker from the trade.
The Knicks currently don’t have a starting point guard with Derrick Rose slated to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Rose is currently recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Before meeting with Markkanen, the Knicks also expressed interest in drafting young French point guard Frank Ntilikina. According to scouts, the 6-foot-5 Ntilikina has all the physical tools to excel in the NBA.
