Even though the New York Knicks have not started a full-scale rebuild, all signs indicate they will do it soon.
Carmelo Anthony, the franchise’s biggest star over the past decade, has been on the trade block for several months. Top free agents have ruled out New York time and time again as a potential destination. And that’s fine, because the Knicks need to start from the bottom if they want to react the top again. But the latest news to come from Madison Square Garden would make any basketball fan go crazy.
Per several reports, the Knicks’ GM, Phil Jackson, is testing the trade market for Kristaps Porzingis. The 21-year-old power forward has all the makings of a superstar, and recently completed his second year in the league. We must note Porzingis averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and two blocks per game last season. Those numbers are from a Tier 1 player, and Porzingis still has a lot of room to improve.
So yeah – trading him isn’t the best way to start a rebuild. The Knicks should build a new team AROUND him. Not AWAY from him. If they are decided about trading one player to start a rebuild, then Jackson should part ways with Carmelo. Not Porzingis.
Luckily for Knicks fans, it’s quite unlikely Porzingis leaves the franchise in the near future. Even though the Latvian is reportedly frustrated with the team, he is not going anywhere. And the main reason behind that statement is that the Knicks are asking for three first-round picks to part ways with him. Yes, you read that right. THREE. FIRST. ROUND. PICKS.
Porzingis has all the makings of a future star, sure. And he’s a former Top 5 selection with only two years in the league. He’s been progressing constantly, and the sky is the limit for him. But not even all those traits make him worthy of such a steep price. And GMs around the NBA are not stupid. They know Jackson is only doing this to test the market, and his real intention isn’t (shouldn’t be?) to trade Porzingis away. First-round picks have value, but they are far from a sure thing. You don’t have to be a basketball genius to know that.
As of now, Porzingis is the only valuable piece on the Knicks roster, and their lone asset to build around for the future. No disrespect to the other members of the team, but no one else has superstar potential. And while Anthony is still an efficient scorer, he’s a bit past his prime.
The Knicks would be crazy to give away Porzingis. He’s simply too talented to deal considering he still has two years left on his rookie contract. And if the Knicks wanna do the right thing and put the franchise on the right path once again, they need to hold on to him as long as they can. He’s their best player since the Patrick Ewing era, and the franchise should do everything in their power to make sure he remains a Knick for life.
Otherwhise, they will regret it.