Phil Jackson Says Knicks May Trade Kristaps Porzingis

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson has stated the team is entertaining the possibility of trading forward Kristaps Porzingis, according to Adrian Wojanarowski of Yahoo’s The Vertical.

Phil Jackson Met with Arizona Forward Lauri Markkanen, Who Could Replace Porzingis

According to The Vertical, Jackson met with Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen for dinner in New York on Monday night because the Knicks president believes the 7-footer could serve as a suitable replacement for Porzingis. Wojnarowski claimed Jackson is even considering selecting Markkanen with the Knicks’ eighth overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

The Knicks have already begun receiving dozens of phone calls in recent days from teams interested in acquiring Porzingis, a 7-foot-3 Latvian star, via a trade.

ESPN had initially reported in April that multiple teams had contacted the Knicks about possible trades involving the 21-year-old forward, who was drafted fourth overall by New York in 2015. According to league sources, the group of teams who called the Knicks in the last few days includes several with 2017 NBA draft picks higher than New York’s.

The New York Daily News reported on Tuesday that the Boston Celtics — who have the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft — are among the teams interested in Porzingis that have contacted the Knicks.

The Latvian star missed exit meetings with Jackson and general manager Steve Mills in April due to exasperation with the dysfunction and drama the team became mired in. Neither the franchise’s front office nor head coach Jeff Hornacek has reached out to Porzingis since he skipped those exit meetings, sources said.

Porzingis’ 34-year-old brother Janis — who also works for Andy Miller, Porzingis’ primary agent — reiterated Tuesday that Porzingis loves New York and wants to win there.

“Despite how the Knicks are treating their players, Kris wants to stay in New York,” said Janis Porzingis, a former Latvian professional basketball star. “He loves the city and he loves the fans and he wants to win with this team. If he’s going to be traded, he’s going to play out his contact and decide his future on his own.”

Kristaps Porzingis averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 2016-17, his second NBA season. The Knicks finished with a 31-51 record.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Knicks have also expressed interest in Kansas swingman Josh Jackson. The Celtics had initially been predicted to select Jackson in this year’s NBA Draft. The Knicks would probably have to move up to select Jackson, who is widely foreseen to be a top-five pick.

Earlier this year, Jackson said he believed veteran Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony “would be better off somewhere else,” which immediately sparked trade rumors about the 2003 first-round pick, who has been with the team since 2011.

The New York Daily News reported that before that statement about 33-year-old Anthony, nevertheless, Jackson also said he didn’t think Porzingis was prepared to lead the Knicks because he is still young and inexperienced. The organization’s president noted how much promise the Latvian has demonstrated, however.

“No, I don’t think (Porzingis) is ready. He’s 21 years old. That’s a big load for anybody to take on,” Jackson said. “But he’s shown that he’s competitive.”

Several Knicks fans and notable sports pundits also went on Twitter on Tuesday to express how utterly nonsensical it was for the team to even consider trading Porzingis.

According to PhillyVoice, the Philadelphia 76ers are also interested in trading for Porzingis.

Caption:OAKLAND, CA – MARCH 16: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors tries to steal the ball from Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks at Oracle Arena on March 16, 2016 in Oakland, California.