Kristaps Porzingis skipped his exit interview with New York Knicks brass two months ago, and Phil Jackson is hopping mad about it.
But mad enough to trade his star player? After all, we’re talking about an exit interview. Not a game. Not a practice. An exit interview.
Jackson, the Knicks’ president, indeed admitted Wednesday night the Knicks are listening to calls on the 21-year-old big man, telling MSG’s Al Trautwig that “as much as we love this guy, we have to do what’s best for our club.”
Jackson didn’t hide the fact that his ire stems from Porzingis’ exit-interview flub and said he’d never had a player pull that in all his years of coaching. Except Jackson had: Shaquille O’Neal famously did it to him twice, in 2003 and 2004.
Jackson said this of Porzingis, via For The Win: “His brother and his agent downplayed it, but still it’s a chance for a person to express themselves, and I had a real good relationship with Kristaps over the last two years, so it was kind of surprising.”
So what’s the price for Porzingis? Reportedly, the Knicks want a top-four pick in Thursday night’s draft so they can take Kansas forward Josh Jackson. Therefore, you’d have to believe the Boston Celtics, who own the No. 3 pick, could be in play for the big trade that president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has built toward all these years.
ESPN’s Chad Ford even presented a trade proposal that seems reasonable.
This should make for an interesting draft night.
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
