Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors: 5 teams that should trade for Knicks' star
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Dec 20, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during a break in action in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors have taken the NBA by storm. It's unlikely a deal gets done, but here are five potential trade scenarios anyway.
NBA trade season has kicked back into high gear approaching into the 2017 NBA Draft, and Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors escalated what was one of the most hectic days for league-wide rumors and speculation in recent memory.
As The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday, the New York Knicks were weighing the possibility of trading their seven-foot franchise cornerstone, which prompted a flurry of activity from around the league.
Though Woj and ESPN's Ian Begley both clarified the Knicks were simply fielding calls, and not actively shopping the star Latvian, it's a terrible look for team president Phil Jackson and the organization regardless.
Due diligence is one thing, but anything short of publicly and vehemently denying the availability of one of the league's most valuable trade assets sends the wrong message — especially with the team bringing in Arizona's Lauri Markkanen, another tall prospect who can shoot, for a workout.
After Porzingis skipped the team's exit interviews citing organizational dysfunction and drama, there were rumblings the future star was unhappy with his situation and the way Jackson had dragged the name of his teammate and mentor, Carmelo Anthony, through the mud.
According to Begley, Porzingis' brother Janis Porzingis, says Kristaps loves the city and the fans, and would like to continue his career in New York. He also said he'd play out the remainder of his contract if he were traded somewhere.
Now, the likelihood of a Porzingis trade seems to have died down, especially after The Vertical's Chris Mannix reported exactly that.
However, if we know anything about the Knicks, it's that they're a cluster-f**k of dysfunction. They've been this way for decades, and adding Jackson to the mix has only made matters worse.
Since they're even considering the possibility of moving Three Six Latvia, we wouldn't be doing our due diligence if we didn't draw up a few trade scenarios to put Kristaps Porzingis in a more stable situation.
Now, all 29 teams in the NBA would love to trade for the 21-year-old Zinger, a seven-foot unicorn that just averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game on .450/.357/.786 shooting splits in his second NBA season.
But which ones actually have the required assets to make it happen, and would actually be willing to pay the price for one of the league's most valuable contracts? Bearing all this in mind, here's a look at five potential Porzingis trades that would actually make sense for both sides.
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
December 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) passes against the defense of Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mention: Los Angeles Lakers
If they really wanted to, the Los Angeles Lakers could get in on the Kristaps Porzingis sweepstakes. However, after trading away D'Angelo Russell in a cap space-clearing deal with the Brooklyn Nets, it wouldn't make much sense to do so.
More than likely, discussions on a Porzingis trade would begin and end with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. After moving Russell, it's all but assured the Lakers will be selecting Lonzo Ball as their new franchise point guard at that spot.
Though a package of the No. 2, No. 27 and No. 28 picks in this year's draft would be a fine starting point for a one-in-a-lifetime talent like KP, the point guard position would be a serious issue for the team moving forward.
With the Lakers' sights set on adding Paul George and LeBron James in the near future, they need Ball to facilitate and wouldn't have the requisite cap space to pursue a star point guard in free agency. If the No. 2 pick is off the table in trade talks, it's highly unlikely the Lakers' best possible package of No. 27, No. 28, a future first-rounder and Julius Randle/Jordan Clarkson would cut it.
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) in a game at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 98-97. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
5. Philadelphia 76ers
After trading up from the third pick in this year's draft to No. 1 overall, the Philadelphia 76ers could very well just stay the course, draft Markelle Fultz and enjoy a tantalizing young core of Fultz, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and eventually, Furkan Korkmaz.
HOWEVER.
If having one unicorn in Joel Embiid wasn't enough, the Sixers could consider adding another, especially with "The Process" being limited to just 31 games through the first three years of his NBA career.
Embiid would be off the table in these discussions, but if the Sixers were willing to include one of Ben Simmons or the No. 1 pick, that'd be a pretty intriguing starting point in potential trade talks.
We'll start with the scenarios involving the No. 1 pick, since the Knicks desperately need a point guard (SPOILER ALERT: It ain't Derrick Rose). Fultz could be the new face of the franchise, New York would pocket another future first-rounder, and the Knicks would get their hands on former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor, a Rookie of the Year candidate in Dario Saric and Robert Covington's superb wing defense.
Okafor has been fairly criticized for his defensive flaws and injury-proneness, but he's still only 21 years old and the Knicks would receive a young and talented big to replace KP in the frontcourt. Saric's well-rounded game will fit anywhere, as would Covington's alongside Fultz.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas would be included to balance salaries and give Philly some replacement depth on the wing, while Porzingis would form a dynamic trio with Embiid and Simmons. However, let's say the Knicks aren't interested in Okafor.
In this scenario, Luwawu-Cabarrot is thrown in instead of Okafor, who is viewed as more of an albatross by some teams around the league. The Knicks keep Kuzminskas in this deal and still pocket all of the other assets.
But let's say the Knicks would rather use their No. 8 overall selection to address the point guard spot, taking their pick between De'Aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr. Let's say, in addition to Dario Saric's playmaking ability in the frontcourt, they want to add a legitimate point forward in Ben Simmons.
In this scenario, the Sixers have to stomach the loss of last year's No. 1 overall pick, giving up on his point forward potential after he missed his entire rookie year due to injury. That being said, they'd keep RoCo, Luwawu-Cabarrot and the No. 1 pick, allowing them to put the ball in Markelle Fultz's capable hands as lead playmaker.
Simmons' health would be a risky proposition for the Knicks, especially since they'd only be getting Saric alongside the former No. 1 pick, and would have to give up Kuzminskas for salary-matching purposes.
But since Philadelphia wouldn't give up both Simmons and the No. 1 pick, and since Okafor's value is down, it might be hard to facilitate a deal here. On the Sixers' part, there'd also be nothing wrong with keeping the No. 1 pick, drafting Fultz and appreciating what they have after the Celtics swap.
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Dec 9, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. The Knicks defeated the Kings 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
4. Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have the No. 5 and No. 10 overall selections in this year's draft, and it's no wonder people have speculated about whether they'd package those picks to move up in the draft. As one of the NBA's most dysfunctional franchises, Kings fans are just holding their breath, hoping their team doesn't transform into the KANGZ that continually mess things up.
The Kings might be better off keeping their picks, ideally using No. 5 on De'Aaron Fox and No. 10 on someone like Zach Collins, Luke Kennard, Lauri Markkanen or Donovan Mitchell.
That being said, the Kings might have the assets to pull off a deal, even if their offer wouldn't stack up to the other four teams on this list.
A Porzingis trade starts and ends with Willie Cauley-Stein, who is Sacramento's most desirable trade asset. The Knicks would probably ask for Buddy Hield, while including Marshall Plumlee for salary-matching purposes.
WCS is no Porzingis, but he's a versatile defender who played extremely well following the DeMarcus Cousins trade, averaging 12.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game on 50.4 percent shooting.
Hield showed great signs of promise after being shipped to Sacramento, averaging 15.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on .480/.428/.814 shooting splits in 25 games. In addition to these two, the Knicks pocket another two top-10 selections, giving them five promising young players to replace KP with.
New York could make that six if it asked for Skal Labissiere and Malachi Richardson instead of Hield:
In this deal, the Kings are giving up two players in their frontcourt, but get to keep Hield and bring a legitimate franchise player — which WCS, Hield and Labissiere are not — into the fold.
Richardson is a 21-year-old wing who could be a decent role player one day, while Labissiere averaged 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on 54.1 percent shooting after the Boogie trade.
If that didn't work, Sacramento could try adding Malachi Richardson to the first package of WCS, Hield, No. 5 and No. 10.
This is a lot for the Kings to give up in all three scenarios, but the signs of life that Cauley-Stein, Hield and Labissiere showed after the All-Star break are as likely to be flashes in the pan as they are legitimate signs of potential. This group banded together following that star trade moved Cousins to New Orleans, and that us "against the world" effect could easily wear off by next season.
Trading for Porzingis, even if it means sacrificing multiple young players and draft assets, is the price you pay if those players are unproven and a franchise star like Porzingis is on the line.
However, since that's a steep price, Sacramento may prefer to just stay the course and keep its two picks this year to supplement a burgeoning core.
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Feb 18, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New York Knick forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) react in the skills challenge during NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
3. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets don't need to make a trade like this. They've already got a promising young core, plus ample cap space this summer to hopefully land a veteran star like Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry or Paul Millsap.
But let's be realistic: Denver has never been a premier free agency destination and they have plenty of assets to make a trade happen. With Nikola Jokic blossoming as a seven-foot superstar and perhaps the NBA's best passing big, a union among unicorns is tantalizing to think about.
It'd take a king's ransom to get the Knicks to bite on a deal, especially after engaging in blockbuster trade talks with the Nuggets once before, but it might be worth it to put KP and the Joker in the same frontcourt.
Down the homestretch of the 2016-17 campaign, Emmanuel Mudiay was completely removed from Michael Malone's rotation, playing behind Jamal Murray and Jameer Nelson. Though it'd be a pity to give up on a former No. 7 overall pick who's still only 21 years old, if they could sell New York on Mudiay's potential as their next franchise point guard, they should do it.
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Gary Harris is the biggest loss in this deal, since he's already one of the game's best defenders at his position despite being 22 years old. After a career year in which he averaged 14.9 points per game on .502/.420/.776 shooting splits, it's safe to say this kid is going to be one of the NBA's most reliable two-way players soon.
Juan Hernangomez is a 21-year-old power forward with stretch-4 potential after shooting 40.8 percent on 1.8 three-point attempts per game as a rookie, but he'd be completely expendable in a deal for the Zinger.
The Knicks would get three promising youngsters, the No. 13 pick in this year's draft and a future first-rounder for their trouble, while the Nuggets would have one of the most versatile frontcourts in NBA history to build around.
However, Denver's offer might pale in comparison to a few other teams around the league, and the inclusion of Harris might give the Nuggets front office pause.
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2. Boston Celtics
According to the New York Daily News, the Boston Celtics are one of the teams that came calling to inquire about Kristaps Porzingis' availability.
KP wouldn't be the immediate star addition they need to legitimately challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East, but he would plug in at the 4 and combine with whatever's left between Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and the No. 3 pick in this year's draft to form a new core for the future.
Don't count on that No. 3 pick though, since it'd be necessary to facilitate a deal, especially with New York's reported interest in Josh Jackson, who could be available at that point in the draft.
With such a flexible roster and all those extra first-rounders, there are a plethora of options Boston could include in a Porzingis deal. They could outbid virtually any team in the league if they decided he was the star they've been waiting for on the trade market.
Knowing Danny Ainge, he'd try to continue to toe the line between contending now and building a strong core for the long-term, with a slightly larger emphasis on turning those picks into tangible assets for the here and now.
If that's the case, the Celtics would have to think about giving up something like Jae Crowder, Terry Rozier the No. 3 pick in this year's draft, the Lakers/Kings pick (via Philadelphia) and possibly another future first-rounder.
The Knicks would get a solid 3-and-D wing on a great contract, a young guard with potential, plus three first-rounders, while Boston would still have a core of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and hopefully Gordon Hayward to work with. Mindaugas Kuzminskas would be included for salary-matching purposes.
Another deal might look like this:
That version severely impairs the Celtics' long-term future with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart being included with two first round picks, but again, a core of IT-Bradley-Crowder-KP-Horford-Rozier-Hayward is pretty damn good as well.
The Knicks would be getting a rangy, defensive wing with dynamic scoring potential in Brown, a versatile defender and big-game player in Smart, a shot at drafting Josh Jackson and the Lakers/Kings pick. Even though they'd be losing Porzingis and Mindaugas, that's a pretty handsome rebuild package.
However, the Celtics might be better off saving their assets for a Jimmy Butler or Paul George trade since they're more capable of elevating Boston to legitimate contender status right away. A trade like that would also make it easier to sign someone like Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin this summer too.
Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Dec 13, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and Phoenix Suns forward Marquese Chriss (0) at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Knicks 113-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
1. Phoenix Suns
The Boston Celtics could make the best offer for a Porzingis trade, but the Phoenix Suns have both the necessary assets to get a deal done and the desire to bolster their ongoing youth movement.
In other words, they're a more realistic trade partner for the Knicks since Boston seems more content with stockpiling assets than actually cashing them in.
The Boston #Celtics' quest for assets basically operates under the same premise as the underpants gnomes from South Park pic.twitter.com/SVSbBC4ktA
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) June 20, 2017
According to Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro, the two sides already held a discussion that revolved around Porzinigis for the No. 4 pick in this year's draft and 20-year-old phenom Devin Booker, which the Suns understandably turned down.
Porzingis is way more of a sure thing as a future franchise cornerstone, but it wouldn't make sense for the Suns to include Booker in a deal; they'd want to pair the two together as a superstar tandem for the long-term.
Other than that though, everyone on Phoenix's roster would become expendable.
Are the Knicks interested in a proven two-way point guard like Eric Bledsoe? Go for it. Are they enticed by T.J. Warren's ability to get buckets at only 23 years old? Have at him. Does the potential of Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender intrigue them? Take 'em. The No. 4 pick? Sure thing.
While the Suns would prefer to keep one of the Warren-Chriss-Bender-No. 4 pick foursome, any and all of those assets would be on the table — even at the cost of taking on Joakim Noah's horrible contract in the event of a deal involving Bledsoe (since the salaries would need to match).
Here's a look at a few different Suns-Knicks trades revolving around Porzingis, to give an idea of the assets Phoenix brings to the table and the various scenarios that could unfurl without Devin Booker being included:
Knicks get PG - Eric Bledsoe
SF - T.J. Warren
PF - Marquese Chriss
No. 4 overall pickSuns get PF - Kristaps Porzingis
C - Joakim Noah
Knicks get PG - Eric Bledsoe
SF - T.J. Warren
PF - Dragan Bender
No. 4 overall pickSuns get PF - Kristaps Porzingis
C - Joakim Noah
The Knicks need a point guard who isn't Derrick Rose, and though they could get one at No. 4 or No. 8 in hypothetical trades like this, Bledsoe could be a stop-gap between now and the long-term future when that rookie is ready to lead.
It's not like Bledsoe is some hack stand-in either, since he's stayed healthy his last two seasons and averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game this year.
Knicks have made calls about Kristaps Porzingis, aiming for a top-four pick to get Josh Jackson. – @WojVerticalNBA https://t.co/zT5sHvQJGZ
— The Vertical (@TheVertical) June 22, 2017
Warren's mysterious head injury hindered his production halfway through the season, but he started and ended the 2016-17 campaign on a strong note, averaging 17.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game on 56 percent shooting after the All-Star break.
As for the two Suns youngsters being offered, Bender is a versatile big who may be able to shoot, defend multiple positions and function as a secondary playmaker. Chriss is a super athletic 4 whose three-point shot impressed after the All-Star break, though his toughness and dunking ability has somewhat overshadowed his defensive and rebounding flaws.
Noah still has three years and a whopping $55.6 million left on his contract, but that may actually help the Suns talk down the Knicks as far as what they have to give up. Taking on Noah and trading for KP would mean one of Alan Williams or Alex Len is gone in free agency, but that was probably the case anyway.
Noah's arrival would also signal the end of Tyson Chandler's time in Phoenix, and general manager Ryan McDonough would need to line up a separate trade for him, but that could be taken care of.
In the event the Knicks are scared away by a point guard with a history of knee problems — even if Bledsoe was healthy the last two seasons and has played at an All-Star level — they could focus on acquiring assets like Warren, Bender, Chriss and/or the No. 4 overall pick.
Marshall Plumlee would need to be included in a couple of these deals for salary-matching purposes, but if Phoenix could focus on one of these options where they only have to give up one of Warren and the No. 4 pick (so they could either keep Warren or draft a rookie wing), they'd be well off with a two-man tandem of KP and Booker.
Chriss and Bender both have a lot of potential, but they're also very flawed, and young projects with high ceilings don't always pan out. They're nowhere near sure things, which Porzingis absolutely is on both ends of the floor.
Phoenix could build its core from there, minimizing the draft bust potential by trading for a sure thing who is still on the same timeline as Booker and whatever young pieces are still left.
The Suns have the assets to make a move for a Jimmy Butler or even a DeAndre Jordan, whose name came up Tuesday night. They could be the third team in a Paul George deal that brings Kevin Love to the Valley, or they could facilitate sign-and-trade for Paul Millsap.
But if they're smart, the only acceptable trade for putting all those assets to good use would be to pair Kristaps Porzingis and Devin Booker as the next chapter of Phoenix Suns basketball.
