Have the New York Knicks already won the Kristaps Porzingis trade?
It was the end of January 2019 when news broke that the New York Knicks‘ Unicorn, Kristaps Porzingis, was being traded to Dallas. The news sent shockwaves throughout all of New York City, as yet again the Knicks weren’t able to satisfy one of the highest and most skillful draft-picks the Knicks have had since Patrick Ewing.
At the time, the news didn’t seem too bad considering the Knicks were clearing up a ton of cap space for the upcoming free agency period, bringing in a potential star point guard in Dennis Smith Jr, and added DeAndre Jordan, who is good buddies with the 2 mega-stars the Knicks were supposedly looking to target that summer in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Well………Jordan eventually did get to team up with his 2 friends in New York……just not exactly in the way Knicks fans had imagined.
While Dennis Smith Jr has been incredibly underwhelming, Jordan left for Brooklyn, and Wes Matthews was bought out shortly after the trade, I still believe the Knicks won the trade by a landslide.
Even without the Knicks using either of the two draft-picks they are set to receive from the trade, when we look at all of the factors involved surrounding the deal, the Knicks have dodged a few bullets and have also set themselves up for long-term success.
Here are a few reasons why I believe the Knicks have already won the trade.
1) Missing out on Kyrie Irving
Need I say more?
While Irving may be one of the most skillful players to ever grace an NBA court, he’s proven, time and time again, that basketball may not be his #1 priority in life. Additionally, Kyrie has shown he’s unable to stay healthy for an entire season, and with his style of play, his injury woes should continue to hinder his career.
After the mess that David Fizdale and Steve Mills left in their wake, the Knicks’ overall outlook and future must be handled delicately. Bringing in a guy that stirs up as much commotion as Kyrie Irving would ruin the Knicks, even if it also meant having Kevin Durant on the team.
While trading away Porzingis doesn’t directly correlate with the Knicks potentially acquiring KD and Kyrie, had he never been moved, the Knicks would not have even been in the running or considered whatsoever. Even with losing our best player at the time, clearly, we dodged a major bullet in not bringing Irving to The Garden.
2) Porzingis’ health
It’s a well-known fact in the NBA that when players eclipse 7 feet tall, their health is a major issue for their entire careers, especially in the lower extremities.
Porzingis has yet to play a full season as a pro, and this year has been no exception. They say “the best ability is availability” and even with the guard-like skills the 7’3″ Latvian possesses, if he’s barely on the court, the Mavs cannot benefit from his presence.
In just his 5th season, Porzingis has experienced a total of 23 different injuries that have caused him to miss time. These injuries include a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, and a myriad of other knee and ankle injuries amongst a few miscellaneous ones as well. It’s safe to assume that KP may not make it long enough in the NBA to earn another contract once his current one is up.
3) The Mavs aren’t winning
In the six games since Porzingis has returned, the Mavericks are a pedestrian 3-3, losing to teams they should be crushing in the lowly Bulls and Raptors. While his stats would suggest he’s been playing well, averaging 20.3 per game, his assists and total rebounds per game are suffering while he’s shooting an abysmal 33% from deep, which is the worst of his entire career.
Even with Luka Doncic absolutely dominating this season, it’s all for naught, as his over-7-foot sidekick isn’t helping the team win their contests. There are already rumors swirling around the internet that the Mavs may be looking to move on from Porzingis by the deadline, in hopes of pairing Doncic with a more competent star to help the young superstar make a legitimate push come playoff time.
The picks New York should receive in the 2021 and 2023 (fingers crossed) drafts should turn out to be players that will help shape the Knicks organization for the next decade and longer, as both drafts are widely recognized as deep with talent.
All in all, I think we’re in very good shape moving forward and this trade may be viewed as one of the best the organization has ever pulled off when it’s all said and done.