The New York Knicks and forward Kristaps Porzingis opted to part ways Thursday, roughly one week prior to the NBA trade deadline. While there was chatter that Porzingis had made it known that he wanted out of town, the Knicks wasted little time making that happen.
After he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the forward took to Twitter to send a message to the fans of the team where his career began.
New York will always have a special place in my heart.
Grateful for everybody who made this journey so special for my family and I.
The trade was first reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times, who broke down the deal as the pieces came. After the base of the deal was made public, which included two first-round picks heading to New York, The Athletic’s Michael Scotto reported the specific selections which the Knicks would receive.
When all was said and done, this was the final outlook of the deal:
- Knicks receive: Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wes Matthews, 2021 first-round pick (protected), 2023 first-round pick (protected)
- Mavericks receive: Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, Trey Burke
The Knicks also freed up roughly $74.6 million in potential cap space next season, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks revealed. In turn, this puts them in position to make a push for two stars to pair with Porzingis.
The Knicks could be staring at $74.6M in projected cap space for next season. That would be good enough for 2 max slots.
Kristaps Porzingis Posts Cryptic Instagram Message
Shortly after his message on Twitter, the newest member of the Mavericks took to Instagram and posted something just a bit different than what was above. It pointed to the possibility of something going on that hasn’t been made public yet, as Dime Magazine revealed.
Obviously, there will be plenty of questions that come up about this, but unless Porzingis is willing to sound off on whatever happened, it will remain all speculation for now. Regardless, the Knicks are moving forward without the 23-year-old and will rebuild with Dennis Smith Jr. and a handful of first-round draft picks coming in the near future.
Knicks Roster After Kristaps Porzingis Trade
| Position | Expected Starter | Backup | |
| Center | DeAndre Jordan | Mitchell Robinson | Enes Kanter |
| Power Forward | Noah Vonleh | Luke Kornet | Lance Thomas/Isaiah Hicks |
| Small Forward | Kevin Knox | Mario Hezonja | Damyean Dotson |
| Shooting Guard | Wesley Matthews | Allonzo Trier | Kadeem Allen |
| Point Guard | Dennis Smith Jr. | Emmanuel Mudiay | Frank Ntilikina |
While it’s unknown how the Knicks will approach the offseason, there’s a chance they could use the No. 1 overall pick (if they get it) as a trade chip for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis. The rumors continue to swirl around Davis, but the Knicks have been linked even before his trade request came to light.
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Kristaps Porzingis Tweets to Knicks Fans, Makes Cryptic Instagram Post