After an eventful start to the 2017 NBA offseason, things have really begun to die down as of late, however, two household names remain in headlines across the league: Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving. Both have voiced their displeasure with their current situation and it remains likely that the two are dealt before the conclusion of this offseason.
One of the teams that has been linked to Kyrie Irving has been the Knicks as the New York native has said before he would enjoy playing in the Big Apple. In fact, one of the rumored deals was a swap between the two disgruntled stars but Anthony refuses to waive the no-trade clause in his contract for anybody except the Houston Rockets at this point in time.
The Cavs will look for a hefty package in return for Irving so when talking to the Knicks, there’s no doubt 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis’ name has at least been brought up in discussions. However, according to Steven Marcus and Mike Rose of Newsday, New York has zero interest in splitting with their Latvian centerpiece in any potential Kyrie Irving deal:
The Knicks don’t appear interested in trading Kristaps Porzingis, including a possible deal for Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, according to a league source.
“[Knicks president] Steve Mills and [Knicks general manager] Scott Perry on the record were very clear that Kristaps was part of the future,’’ the source said in reference to comments made last month by both executives. “In all the discussions since then — there were other rumors before that Cleveland would want Kristaps — and it didn’t seem that [the Knicks] were interested at all in a conversation.’’
In just two short years, Kristaps Porzingis has cemented himself as one of the best big men in the league not only in the future but also currently making him one of the most valuable assets throughout the NBA.
With the relationship between the Cavs front office and LeBron James all of a sudden looking cloudier than ever, Cleveland previously expressed that they will look to nab a young star in any trade involving Irving.
With all trade talks involving the Knicks going nowhere this summer, expect that trend to continue and for Kristaps Porzingis to stay put in New York despite the ongoing chatter about his uncertain future with the franchise.
