The best news for the Knicks is Anthony Davis didn’t leave the Big Easy.
The Knicks failed to make a trade at Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline, didn’t get Davis and proceeded as expected on buyouts for Enes Kanter and Wesley Matthews.
Two hours after the deadline, the Knicks waived Kanter and Matthews so they can sign with playoff contenders. Kanter, according to a source, didn’t give up a dime of his contract.
Davis is still in New Orleans despite his trade demand and didn’t wind up with LeBron James and the Lakers. The Knicks should be in play for Davis if they get either the first or second pick in the lottery, and the Pelicans star reportedly considers New York a top destination. Duke’s Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett are considered the two stars of the draft.
Along with their anticipated 2019 lottery pick, the Knicks have a number of young assets such as their past two lottery picks, Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, rookie second-rounder Mitchell Robinson and Dallas’ two future No. 1s picked up last week in the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
However, the Celtics will be allowed to join the fray this summer and there’s reports of a potential package including Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Robert Williams and three first-round picks. However, Davis has not listed Boston among his preferred options with which to sign long term in 2020.
Meanwhile, Kanter showed up to the Knicks facility Thursday and met with coach David Fizdale, and the feuding partners agreed he would not practice and it was time to split. Though the waiver wasn’t official, Kanter did not accompany the team to Detroit, where the Knicks take a 14-game losing streak into Friday night’s game. The Knicks were unable to get an asset for Kanter at the trade deadline because of the complications of his $18.6 million contract. They would have needed to take back a considerable contract in any deal.
Kanter became the fourth-string center after the Porzingis trade brought in DeAndre Jordan. But Fizdale had toyed with his role from the beginning of the season. After five games, Fizdale promoted rookie project Robinson to starting center — a slap in the veteran’s face. Kanter claimed Porzingis was irritated by Fizdale’s treatment of his fellow European.
“It was definitely a tough spot for Enes,” said Fizdale, who warred with another European big man, Marc Gasol, last season in Memphis. “I’ve been saying that from the beginning. Anytime you’ve got a guy who can do what Enes does on the court and you have to go in another direction for the betterment of the organization, that’s always a tough spot for a guy. What we talked about, I won’t tell you that.”
Kanter became a nuisance to Fizdale the past several weeks with his public complaining, even after the coach asked him to pipe down. The beginning of the end came when Fizdale benched Kanter in favor of Luke Kornet to begin the West Coast trip last month.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Matthews practiced but was not made available to the media. He was obtained in the Porzingis deal and is looking to go to a contender. The Post first reported in Thursday’s editions Matthews would be bought out if the Knicks couldn’t trade him, and the Warriors were very interested. Another report has placed the Pacers as favorites. Matthews played just two games for the Knicks.
The young guys stayed put, but there’s a chance they will be offered for Davis when the sweepstakes starts again on draft night in June. Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay and newcomer Dennis Smith Jr. will share the point-guard role. Fizdale said two days ago Mudiay and Ntilikina are likely out with injury until after the All-Star break.
The Knicks will have three spots on the roster to fill with potential G-League players. Sharpshooter John Jenkins, on a 10-day contract with Washington, is a possibility if he’s not re-signed by the Wizards.
Fizdale said he hopes the club can relax now, keep improving its defense and start getting some wins. The Knicks have a chance of setting the worst record in franchise history as they stand at a league-worst 10-43. The record for futility is Derek Fisher’s 17-65 club in 2014-15.
“It’s good for everything,” Fizdale said of the deadline passing. “There’s not a team in this league when once that deadline is past, everyone’s [not] like, ‘OK, we can get to work now and not have to stress about getting traded.’ It’s the same for everybody in the building. When the guys’ names come up in rumors, I always preach empathy for our players. It could be any of them at any time, so everyone will take a deep breath.”
As much as Fizdale has accepted the losing, he hopes to “get some wins so they can feel good about themselves.’’
“I asked for this,’’ Fizdale said. “Understanding that the potential to have a lot of losses early on was gonna be a part of it. That’s my sacrifice that I got to make and my ego that I got to put to the side.”