Luka Doncic dropped a far-off bombshell on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA recently, sharing his interest in joining another team before he retires. Could that inspire teams like the New York Knicks to pitch their former players on a return -- including one Kristaps Porzingis?
The ending of the relationship between Kristaps Porzingis and the New York Knicks was not pretty. Porzingis was the centerpiece star of yet another Knicks rebuild, their first top-10 pick since Jordan Hill in 2009 (Stephen Curry went one pick before the Knicks - it still hurts). Given that their next two such picks would yield Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox, nailing the Porzingis pick meant a lot.
Yet injuries and a non-linear path of development for Porzingis introduced friction into the relationship, and the Knicks didn't handle things in such a way as to rebuild the relationship. As such, with the Knicks not interested in handing Porzingis a significant new contract, the two sides somehow concluded a trade was the necessary next step (it's a matter of some debate whether a trade request was ever actually made).
The Knicks sent Porzingis packing to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for two first-round picks and a grab bag of players. Where they are now has very little to do with that deal, as the picks amounted to very little and none of the players made a significant impact. The Knicks spent many years in the rebuilding wilderness to put together a foundation on which their current contending team was built. The Porzingis situation was all-around a disappointment.
As the Knicks have turned things around, however, so has Kristaps Porzingis. Things did not go well for him in Dallas as the wingman to Luka Doncic, and he was shipped out of town for peanuts. But things have gone up from there.
He has continued to battle injuries and illness, but when he has been healthy, he has been one of the more impactful big men in the NBA. He started for a Boston Celtics team that dominated the NBA and easily won the NBA Finals (over old running mate Doncic and the Mavericks) and this offseason was added by the Atlanta Hawks to be a difference-maker for a team hoping to challenge the Knicks atop the Eastern Conference.
Could Porzingis return home?
Kristaps Porzingis is in the final season of his contract and is just 30 years old. He will likely work out a new extension with the Hawks to stay on the team for multiple seasons, and while the Knicks could use another big man, they don't have the resources or the salary cap flexibility to bring him in.
In a few seasons, however, the Knicks will need to reset their current roster as they avoid a long-term stay in the draconian second tax apron. That could represent a chance to bring back a former player such as Porzingis, patching things up and adding someone who once looked like the future of New York basketball.
Given his injury history, Porzingis probably will not play into his late 30s, but his size and shooting will not change with age, so he has a chance to stay reasonably effective in the right role. Could the Knicks slot him in as their backup big on the next iteration of the roster? He could do much of the same pick-and-pop actions that Karl-Anthony Towns runs with Jalen Brunson, but also bring rim protection on the other end of the court.
Time heals all wounds, and the context in New York is vastly different than when Porzingis did or did not request a trade all of those years ago. If Doncic is considering a return to where he got his start, perhaps Porzingis could do the same.
The Knicks once thought they could compete for championships with Kristaps Porzingis. Perhaps they will one day after all.