Players and agents around the NBA have taken notice of the way the Knicks have treated their star players under Phil Jackson, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. While the appeal of playing in New York has been on the decline somewhat in recent years thanks to the team’s poor performance, this year’s Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis situations have made the club even more toxic.
“There are 30 teams, and you don’t want to write off anybody, because there’s only so many rotation spots around the league,” one agent tells Deveney. “But of course you’d have to be worried about sending a guy to New York with this front office, especially an upper-level guy. Because he might be doing what he can to help and you might have the team president there ripping him in the media like it’s his fault or putting him in trade rumors. … No one wants that. You have to be concerned about that.”
Deveney’s piece was published early in the day on Wednesday, before Phil Jackson confirmed publicly in an interview on MSG that he’s listening to inquiries on Porzingis.
Here’s more out of New York:
- According to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, multiple people familiar with the Knicks’ thinking believe that the Porzingis drama is a result of members of the front office scrambling to save face and protect their jobs. “The front office is in full survivor mode,” a team source tells Isola. “The place is a mess, so now they want to make it seem like the kid is the problem. Suddenly he’s uncoachable. He won’t listen. They’re trying to put it all on him.”
- For his part, Porzingis has his own thoughts and opinions on the Knicks and the triangle, as Marc Berman of The New York Post details. Wednesday’s other Porzingis rumors can be found right here.
- Jackson’s MSG interview also included a segment on Carmelo Anthony, with the Knicks president suggesting that he still thinks Anthony would be better off elsewhere, though he acknowledged that Carmelo may prefer to stay in New York. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes, Jackson hasn’t given up hope on a trade, but Anthony does have a no-trade clause that he can use if he wants to.
- The Knicks had dinner with Gonzaga big man Zach Collins on Tuesday night, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Collins is viewed as a potential top-10 pick, though it would be a surprise if he lands with New York, considering the team’s apparent preference for a guard or wing. Jackson indicated today, in fact, that there’s a “good chance” the Knicks will use their No. 8 pick on a guard (Twitter link via Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders).
Why hasn’t Dolan fired Jackson yet? This Jackson era front office is insane!
Look at how long he hung on to Thomas.
Because Dolan is also insane.
Jackson is a human shield for Dolan
Correct me if I’m wrong. But doesn’t Porzingis and Carmelo to Phoenix for Chriss, Bender, Bledsoe and the #4 pick make sense for everyone involved ?
Not for Phoenix no. They aren’t going to hemorrhage a rebuild by trading for Melo.
Ok. You’re likely right. Take out Melo and throw in Noah Another contract NY wants to get rid of. To get KP it probably makes more sense
The Suns are doing fine without either of those anchors for contracts.
I’d offer #4 and one of Chriss or Bender for Porzingod. That’s the best I would do.
Green, Aldridge, kyle Anderson for melo and porzingas. Spurs can throw a draft and stash and pick and Phil has half court players for the triangle.
Why would the spurs want melo. He embodies everything that Pop dislikes in a player. Plus he would not fit the system.
I don’t understand why the Knicks would do that deal, but it’s Phil Jackson so anything is possible.
Why would the Knicks do that? They can get a ton for KP and not take back a bad contract that’s longer than Melos and two backups.
No one is going to the Knicks until they get Melo out of town just like no one has been willing to sign there since he arrived.
It’s really stunning how any player could be as toxic as Melo has been to the knicks. You really couldn’t damage a team more than what he’s managed to achieve. We’re now at the point where he’s in full pillage mode.
He drove out Lin and D’Antoni and now he has this non stop barrage of the worlds dumbest media coverage blaming Phil Jackson for his inability to even keep a team out of a lottery. This team is only bad because they traded for Carmelo Anthony. That might have been the worst trade in the history of the NBA.
He’s poisoned the team’s new star to the point he wants the front office to obey him without him even talking to them.
The solution is not to get rid of management and let the players call the shots in case there are any kids reading this who haven’t gotten to lord of the flies yet. The solution is to trade anyone that doesn’t want to buy in.
The most bizarre thing about the triangle is that any players would fight any system this long instead of just buying in for awhile and trying it. The idea that a player would destroy the team to keep a team ownership group from implementing the system they want to run is beyond belief. Jackson has bent over backwards to compromise with Melo and Melo does nothing but crap on him every chance he gets.
We litterally have a player trying to hurt the team, the fans and the players because he doesn’t get to decide the offense the team is going to run, doesn’t want to play defense and doesn’t want to be traded. You basically kiss his ass or you can kiss his ass.
Very well said!
Well said! Just cut him and see how lame his market is! His contract his attitude and his shoot first mentality are NOT what good teams are comprised of
Uh…point at Melo all you want but Jackson is the cause. His ego plus great signings (Noah, Lee) have screwed the Knicks for the next couple of years. Melo was brought in to shoot and Mike D’s system didn’t work with the roster they had. As for Lin, how’s that working out?
Knicks need to reboot. Clean the entire slate (Jackson included) and start with building around KP.
Nah I’m not sold on Porzingis, that was disrespectful to not show up to a exit meeting and def not professional. The kid will be a great player but he’s got to understand he is an employee and stop trying to be a drame king like Lebron James. I wouldn’t hesitate to move him to Phoenix, him and Booker would electrify Phoenix together but if i can get Jackson,Bledsoe, and Bender i’m all for it.
You’re not sold on his talent or his attitude? If it’s the latter, I get it, I guess. If you’re questioning his talent, that’s a player evaluation issue.
Not sold on his attitude, the kid has talent to become a perennial all-star which I think he will be but he’s got to understand Phil is boss and he’s being realistic. He wants to execute the triangle and if he wants to get rid of Porzingis it’s probably for a good reason. If we can bring Josh Jackson to the Garden, get Porzingis out of here.
The triangle is trash. Players don’t want to play bogged down half court offence. They’ll get ran out of the gym against up tempo teams. Adapt or die.
Noah and Lee aren’t the reason this team has been so bad. They’ve been here one year. Nice try.
Top contenders
#5, #10, WSC and a future first for Porzingis.
Or
#3, 2018 Nets #1, Smart, & either Crowder or a future first round pick.
If Jackson lasts until pick 4,
#4, Bledsoe, Chriss and a future pick or additional player
I’ll take the Kings offer, grab De’Aaron Fox and Lauri Markannen.
Bledsoe and Bender for Pozingis must go !!!
Add the 4th pick.
Okafor to NY makes sense. Send him there for a future late 1st round pick.
I’ll take Okafor, he could get us 25-30 every night if we feature him. Give us Okafor, Saric, and one of the later Philly picks in the draft and you can have Porzingis.
Jah ain’t averaging no 25 a night, unless you’re just talking about minutes.
If reports are to be believed that Knicks covet Jackson then a trade with Celtics seems possibly if not probable. But would not be completed until after Knicks pick at 8 to determine which additional player(s) C’s would send to NY. IF NY drafts Collins at 8 then C’s send Rozier and another contract (around $1.6MM) to balance the salaries. If Knicks take Dennis Smith then C’s include Olynk.
If Porzingis ends up in Boston they might beat the Cavs because Stevens would make Porzingis the modern age Garnett with a 3 point shot, thats absolutely devastating.
I’m all for keeping Melo and sending Porzingis to San Antonio for Kyle Anderson,Lamarcus Aldridge, and Danny Green. San Antonio immediately gets a player who fits their system better in Porzingis who can shoot,pass, and play defense and the Knicks can compete with Aldridge and Melo and possibly add Chris Paul?
Paul-Lee-Melo-Aldridge-Noah
need to pay attention to salaries — your trade doesn’t come remotely close to working with player salaries
Try to unload Noah’s contract along with Porzingis then. Noah would work wonders in Pop’s system. Then that opens up cap room for Paul. Maybe move Lee’s contract also.
Still more than $9MM needed and no one is going to take Noah and his contract
Paul would take a paycut to play in NY.
How do you know?
No rumors of it happening– but Porzingis to Dallas to take over for Dirk just seems to make too much sense.
Porzingis and Noah for #9, Seth Curry, Yogi Ferrel, and Wesley Matthews
I like that deal, so we pick up Markannen and this is what we are looking at
Curry-Matthews-Melo-Markannen-Gomez?
Elaborate please.
Knicks would have #8 and #9—-
I don’t really like the idea of trading Zinger to replace him with a riskier version of himself…. so I’d say, they are sitting in position to take 2 of these 3— Isaac, Monk, and Ntilikina
Ntikilina and Monk would be the perfect backcourt. Markannen is not riskier then Porzingis, Markannen actually played college level basketball and proved he can be a legit stretch 4. Not saying he will be better then KP but Markannen will be a machine.
Lots of options at 8 and 9…. but only way you trade Porzingis is if you think you can also move Melo, otherwise it doesn’t make sense to me
Melo could be moved in a separate deal or he could just stick around.
Porzingis is an exponentially better athlete, defender, and reblunker than Markannen
I hate autocorrect so much *rebounder
Ya comparing the two is convenient but they’re hardly the same player in terms of raw talent.
If Indiana won’t take the 26/28 pick with Randel and Clarkson… send it to NY with Deng for Melo and Porz. Knicks get a guard, wing and 2 picks. Lakers can’t sit on those 2 picks.
I don’t think NYK would be interested in that deal.