Knicks Trade Rumors: Kristaps Porzingis untouchable in Kyrie Irving deal
The New York Knicks are reportedly willing to move Carmelo Anthony and future first-round draft picks for Kyrie Irving, but won’t deal Kristaps Porzingis.
Mere days into the tenure of the new front office regime, the New York Knicks have reached a proverbial turning point. President Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry are attempting to trade Carmelo Anthony, and an alluring possibility has presented itself.
There’s no guaranteeing that the Knicks will be able to cash in on this golden opportunity, but the door has been opened for New York to move Anthony for an All-Star.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN broke the internet, for a lack of a better term, when he reported that Kyrie Irving had requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a stunning revelation that comes roughly a month after Irving and the Cavaliers appeared in the NBA Finals.
The report became all the more intriguing when Chris Haynes of ESPN revealed that Irving is interested in being traded to the Knicks.
ESPN Sources: On Kyrie Irving front, Cavs were given four preferred landing spots: New York, Miami, San Antonio, Minnesota.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 21, 2017
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, the Knicks are willing to trade Anthony and future first-round draft picks in order to acquire Irving.
They aren’t, however, willing to part ways with Kristaps Porzingis.
"The Knicks, obviously, have strong interest in Kyrie Irving (just like 29 other teams) but I’m told people in the Knicks front office would not be willing at this point to include Kristaps Porzingis in a trade. Some with the organization would be willing to include future first-round picks and Carmelo Anthony in a deal for Irving, per league sources."
Thus, it appears as though the front office is interested in pairing Irving with Porzingis—not with Anthony for a short-term run at a title.
The fact that New York is willing to trade Anthony for Irving isn’t especially shocking. Anthony is close friends with Cavaliers superstar LeBron James, and has made it known that he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a move to Cleveland.
Moreover, if the Cavaliers are going to trade Irving to New York, then the Knicks would need to provide compensation that would enable Cleveland to contend in 2017-18.
Whether or not you’re of the belief that Anthony can be a No. 1 scoring option, it stands to reason that the 10-time All-Star could help James and the Cavaliers contend.
As for Porzingis, he represents the future of the organization. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has stated his belief that KP can become the best player in the world, and the front office is similarly optimistic.
Furthermore, it appears as though the goal of a trade for Irving would be to build around a sustainable core of he and Porzingis.
Must Read: Kyrie Irving wants to come to New York
Much could change between now and a trade, but the New York Knicks have made Kristaps Porzingis temporarily untouchable in a Kyrie Irving trade.