New York Knicks: Phil Jackson deserves partial credit amid trade fallout

Former New York Knicks president of basketball operations, Phil Jackson, was criticized for shopping Kristaps Porzingis in 2017, and fairly so. Did he see into the future?

“Kristaps Porzingis skips exit interview” was the popular headline after the 2016-17 season. The New York Knicks finished 31-51, Willy Hernangomez — Porzingis’ best friend on the team — was traded amid a reduced role, Porzingis’ favorite coach Josh Longstaff was fired and Carmelo Anthony‘s future became a public battle.

The tea leaves existed nearly two years ago, but after just two NBA seasons, Porzingis potentially leaving the Knicks seemed ludicrous. Why trade such a young, promising talent on a rookie-scale deal?

Well, that’s what the former president of basketball operations, Phil Jackson, once tried.

Per NBA.com, the legendary basketball figure said they received calls on Porzingis after skipping the 2016-17 exit interview, and listened. Perhaps the most striking part of his quote was, “But as much as we love this guy, we have to do what’s good for our club.”

Jackson was criticized, and rightfully so. Porzingis was the future of this franchise and the heir apparent to the aging, expensive Anthony. Deterring that, especially for what seemed like a small instance in a face-to-face meeting, was mind-boggling.

The Knicks fired Jackson seven days after he made those comments.

20 months later, Porzingis’ exit interview evolved into unhappiness, a brother-turned-agent that wanted infinite power, per Marc Berman of the New York Post, and the blockbuster trade that succeeded a brief meeting between the Porzingis Bros. and the Knicks’ front office.

Jackson’s problems didn’t start and end with these trade talks in 2017. He gave Joakim Noah four years, $72 million, enforced the triangle offense, made the curious Derek Fisher hire at head coach and had the aforementioned spat with Anthony. Porzingis could not have been the lone reason for his firing, but the culmination.

However, maybe Jackson wanted to get in front of the 7-foot-3 Latvian’s discontent before it grew larger, corresponding with his rising star power and developing organizational power in the rise of player control.

A high first-round pick was targeted for Porzingis, with Josh Jackson in mind in the 2017 NBA Draft. It seemed counterproductive, setting the organization back for someone, then highly regarded, without NBA experience, compared to someone that could have ruled the Knicks for years.

The Phoenix Suns’ Jackson, still just 21-years-old, has struggled in 132 games, shooting just 41.5 percent and 27.5 percent on three-pointers. It was probably for the best this deal never happened, especially since De’Aaron Fox went one spot afterward to the Sacramento Kings.

But, from the same article from Berman, the Knicks actually shopped Porzingis at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline, two months before the infamous exit interview, because of “bad vibes” from Janis on Porzingis’ future. That preceded last Thursday’s events by 20 months, with Janis at the forefront, again.

Was it Jackson’s fault for Porzingis’ developing unhappiness? Is it on head coach Jeff Hornacek for not playing Hernangomez? Who knows, but it seemed to start around then, making this a two-year saga, not just something that developed within minutes, as the trade talks did publicly with the Mavericks.

Moving Porzingis at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline would have shocked even more than around the draft. For a player not even two years into his career drawing Dirk Nowitzki comparisons, and as New York’s best draft pick since Patrick Ewing, the criticism could have flown fast and furious. Even if the one-time All-Star was unhappy.

The Knicks tried to salvage the Porzingis situation. They proclaimed the relationship was repaired, and David Fizdale went to Latvia just weeks after his hiring to speak with Porzingis. There’s no fault in trying when this player meant so much to the franchise’s future.

However, seven months later, Porzingis met with the Knicks to question their direction. Something went wrong in between, whether it was the frequent losing, questionable odds for free agency’s biggest names, no extension before Halloween 2018 or another circumstance, the situation broke down to Janis presenting the Knicks with four “acceptable” trade destinations, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Now, Porzingis is no longer a Knick after two-plus seasons and one year of injury rehab.

Phil Jackson had his faults as president of basketball operations that arguably warranted his dismissal. Looking to move Porzingis from the New York Knicks that soon may have been one of them. At the same time, he saw this before anyone, self-imposed situation or not. Some credit, if only minuscule, is deserved.