Getty New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis
The situation involving New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis and his injury rehab has taken a few twists and turns over the past few months. Unfortunately, not all of the rumblings and rumors have been positive. Specifically considering that some believe there’s a good chance Porzinigis could miss the entire season.
Although that very well may prove to be the case, the most recent status update involving the 23-year-old forward grabbed a decent amount of attention. After Porzingis suffered a torn ACL during the 2017-18 NBA season, it wasn’t surprising to see the team opt to bring him along slowly. But that hasn’t exactly been the whole story to this point, and in turn, it’s led to some negative backlash.
Prior to the Knicks’ game against the Washington Wizards in London on Thursday, January 17, Marc Berman of the New York Post revealed a few interesting pieces of information. For starters, Porzingis stayed behind in New York during the London trip, a sign that both parties are interested in getting him back on the floor this season.
Having Porzingis stay in New York this week was designed to keep him focused on the rehab of his surgically repaired ACL, though he has started to do basketball drills on the court with coaches.
It means Porzingis and the Knicks are still serious about him returning this season. He will be reevaluated in mid-February, going through a baseline of tests when it likely will be decided if he will return.
The fact that there’s serious interest in getting the 7’3″ star back this year is a big deal and goes directly against a previous report.
Talks of Knicks Holding Kristaps Porzingis out Full Season
Just under a week or so ago, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck revealed on his podcast that the Knicks are holding Porzingis out for the entire year. As Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News followed up with, the situation had apparently fueled current tension between the young forward and the team.
According to Berman and his story on the New York Post, though, that report is “an off-base premise,” as the Knicks reportedly want him back.
A rumor floated last week that the Knicks prefer for him to sit out the season while Porzingis wants to play, creating tension.
According to a source close to the situation, it is an off-base premise. The source said Knicks management wants him back — as long as Porzingis is mentally and physically ready to go.
This is a big deal, as Porzingis’ return would benefit him as the offseason approaches, considering he’s set to become a restricted free agent after the year.
Spurs Reportedly Interested in Porzingis
While it’s a major unknown how the Knicks will approach free agency and potentially re-signing Porzingis, there’s no question he’ll draw heavy interest on the open market. One team who’s already popped up in recent chatter is the San Antonio Spurs. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported that the Spurs have “significant interest” in him.
This certainly isn’t surprising, and the idea of Porzinigis being added to a group with DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge and Dejounte Murray (when healthy) would be scary. O’Connor did cite that the Spurs could have trouble creating enough salary cap space for Porzingis, but we’ve certainly seen crazier things happen in the NBA.
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