Near the end of Phil Jackson’s ill-fated Knicks reign, news surfaced that the team was investigating trade scenarios for Kristaps Porzingis. Sales of defibrillators soared for the Knicks’ fan base and anger reached unprecedented levels.
Well, the organization could be headed for a similar crisis in the future after the publication of an interview with Porzingis’ brother, Janis, who said his ultra-talented 7-foot-3 sibling could bolt if the Knicks don’t reward him with superstar treatment. Porzingis, the brother said, is essentially the Knicks’ meal ticket.
“You can’t escape the reality and the Knicks must also see that. From their point of view, Kristaps is the focal point at the moment so you cannot upset him much or otherwise, at the end of the season, he will say ‘it’s not so cool here,’ ” Janis Porzingis said in an interview on Latvian website Sporta Avize, as translated by Eurohoops.
“The second question is: Who is the New York audience coming to watch now?” the brother said. “To a large extent, it’s Kristaps. So the organization has to take that into account.”
Wait a minute, the Knicks haven’t been selling out because Mindaugas Kuzminskas could be activated any moment?
Janis Porzingis also ripped Carmelo Anthony in the interview for not lifting the Knicks enough and claimed his brother’s well-publicized exit interview absence was well thought out. Janis is a representative for Kristaps working for AMS, Andy Miller Sports, the agency that represents the star.
Team president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry both attended practice Thursday in Tarrytown and declined comment on the latest Knicks furor.
As Knicks fans hyperventilate, Porzingis, 22, is in his third season on a rookie contract. The Knicks already picked up the option for a fourth. After year four, Porzingis can play on a one-year qualifying offer for $7.5 million if he does not sign an extension, presumably one similar to the five-year, $148 million deal Joel Embiid got from the 76ers.
Porzingis, with the qualifying offer, would be a restricted free agent, but the Knicks could match any offer he receives. After playing the fifth year on the qualifying offer, Porzingis would be an unrestricted free agent.
“First – it’s a long time before signing a new deal. Second – there are so many things that can happen in the season, so it’s a waste of time thinking about it now. He needs to be healthy and play his game,” Janis Porzingis said. “And even that is conditional since we know that Embiid was recently awarded a maximum contract for 30 games.
“The most important question here is this: What do you really want to achieve in your career? Because money – if Kristaps performs at least on his normal level, is gonna come. We are more focused on some other values and not just to quickly sign a new contract so we can collect the money,” the brother said. “That’s definitely not our goal so we won’t be feverishly counting minutes or counting points.”
The Knicks star was ill and left practice before the media entered Thursday. He watched film and was sent home but is expected to play Friday against Phoenix at the Garden.
“He came in …went through film but then the doctors didn’t want him to be around the other guys when he’s feeling sick like that,” coach Jeff Hornacek said before explaining he has seen nothing to indicate Porzingis is unhappy.
“It’s been great,” Hornacek said of the team relationship with the All-Star. “KP has been great … He’s being a leader on the court and off the court. He’s really trying to step it up for everybody and the guys are looking at him as their leader.”
Unlike what Janis Porzingis felt was the situation with Anthony which he tied into his brother’s missed exit interview.
“That wasn’t an emotional decision. It wasn’t a spontaneous action. We had been thinking about it for a long time and it was considered an honest, well-thought decision we came up with together. It was a logical next step for us, without which we would’ve been in one situation, but now after we did it – we are in another,” Janis Porzingis told the magazine. “It’s interesting how many people who are even somehow involved in all of this, have criticized it afterward as something so unprofessional! Just look at Melo, how he is handling things … And I’m thinking, ‘wait a minute.’
“In reality, if he for once decided to fight for something, we wouldn’t be in this situation and Kristaps wouldn’t be forced to take all the damage on himself. It wasn’t done for some personal interest or ambitions or dislike for someone, it was for the sake of overall peace. It should have been a task for the team’s leaders, but Melo and people around him never tried to change anything.”
That may be unfair but now, another star apparently fears a similar role, although one teammate insists New York’s favorite unicorn is doing well.
“KP is happy for sure. Happy to be here. He’s our leader,” Porzingis pal Willy Hernangomez said. “KP loves playing here.”