It seems the New York Knicks may be foolish enough to think about trading Kristaps Porzingis. If so, the Orlando Magic need to pick up the phone right now.
Quite incredibly, rumors have begun to swirl that Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks, that great big Latvian unicorn, could potentially be available via trade.
Why? It's not entirely clear, although one would assume that with Carmelo Anthony being treated with disdain by team president Phil Jackson, it's not a smart move to make.
Perhaps the Knicks have fallen in love with this Lauri Markkanen kid? Maybe they're all in on the triangle, as Malik Monk told us already, and the new age skill-set of Porzingis just doesn't fit. Maybe they're simply upset about the Zinger skpping his exit interviews.
To be fair, reports have emerged that the Knicks aren't serious about a KP trade, so maybe this is much ado about nothing. But if he's available, and regardless of why exactly these strange stories have come to fruition, the Orlando Magic need to pick up the phone and get in touch with Jackson and co., right now.
Would Orlando be a strange place for a player of Porzingis' caliber to end up at age 21? Absolutely, and there are teams out there who could offer the Knicks a bigger haul for the forward.
But crucially, the majority of those teams are being linked with other, more developed players.
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Mar 3, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) drives against Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics could obviously trump any potential Orlando offer, but they're said to be interested in Paul George and Jimmy Butler. Ditto for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are also in for the George and Butler sweepstakes.
The Los Angeles Lakers look set to add George in 2018 anyway, and have plenty of promising youngsters of their own.
The Miami Heat are always a dark horse when players become available, but they have a great head coach in Eric Spoelstra and some high-level players like Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside.
That's why they've been linked with Hayward and Griffin too. Sure they could offer up something for Porzingis, but despite having bucketloads of potential he's not ready to lead a playoff team just yet.
Which brings us to the Magic. A contending team they are not, but they are an organization crying out for a bit of star power and direction.
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Porzingis would give them both, while also helping them become a better three-point shooting team after ranking next-to-last in the league last season at 32.8 percent.
Now comes the most important part, and one that is sure to divide fans on the matter. What would the Magic have to give up to get him?
This is just one writer's opinion, but everybody and everything should be in play. Ask yourself this, if Porzingis was in this year's draft, where would he go?
Would he still be on the board when the Magic pick at No. 6? Definitely not, and that's why offering the sixth pick is a good place to start.
Sure, Jonathan Isaac could turn into a nice player. We've already examined how Monk has the kind of offensive ability that would mesh well with the players already on the roster. Getting one of them, as the Magic will if they stay put, will be another positive step on their road to redemption.
Both players look like sure things in terms of being serviceable professionals one day, and that is great.
But we already know Porzingis is a sure thing, and he's more than that; he's a budding star. Why wouldn't the team cash in a maybe for somebody who automatically becomes their best player?
Players under 23 since start of 2015-16 season Kristaps Porzingis is Top 10 in Points, Rebounds, Blocks and 3PT Made: pic.twitter.com/WGjyPdi8t6
— isaac (#FreeMonta) (@Stat4Stat) June 20, 2017
Here's where it gets a little trickier. Say the Knicks insist on Aaron Gordon and that sixth pick as part of a larger package. That's tough to give up.
He's this team's best hope of having a star in the near future, and by and large Magic fans are protective of him. He's the only draft pick since 2010 that looks certain to work out for them.
But even he isn't on the level of Porzingis. Here are some numbers regarding the two that are worth considering. Last season Porzingis averaged 18.1 points per game. As a rookie, that number was 14.3. Gordon averaged 12.7 points per game last season and has a career average of 9.7 per game.
Porzingis shot 35.7 percent from distance last year, Gordon came in at 28.8. This isn't even about pure scoring numbers, however.
We think of Gordon as this freak athlete who bounces all over the paint, and he does. We perceive Porzingis as a big guy floating around the three-point line, because he is.
Yet Porzingis averaged more rebounds per game last year (7.2) than Gordon (5.1). A more accurate number that reflects this is that Porzingis accounted for 11.8 percent of his team's rebounds when on the court.
For Gordon that number was 9.6 percent. Porzingis also posted the much better Player Efficiency Rating (league average 15) of 17.4. Gordon came in at 14.4.
Porzingis had a win share total of 4.5 for the Knicks, while Gordon came in at 3.7. When it comes to free throws, you would think Gordon would be taking far more than Porzingis right?
After all, a major staple of his offensive game (aside from a growing arsenal of jump shot fakes and steps) is to get into the paint and throw it down.
Dec 4, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon (00) moves to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris (13) during the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Yet Porzingis attempted more free throws per game last season (3.8) than Gordon (2.7). For what it's worth, he shot 78 percent once at the line, while Gordon registered 71 percent.
Aaron Gordon is a player who is improving considerably as time goes on. But he's the same age as Porzingis, has been in the league a year longer and is just not on his level. If the Knicks were to insist on him being a part of the deal, it would be tough to see him go, but it would also make the team better.
If Phil Jackson trades Kristaps Porzingis and drafts Luke Kennard on Thursday pic.twitter.com/kbBYErAtf9
— CHELSEA PL CHAMPIONS (@New_Tape_City) June 20, 2017
Here's one wrinkle I can't get away from either: Elfrid Payton is an old-school kind of point guard, and Jackson seems set on playing a brand of basketball that you don't see so much anymore.
Payton is excellent and getting the Magic up the court and into their offensive sets. He plays at his own pace and he sees passing lanes most others don't.
If the Knicks insist on using the triangle, and really they should just pack that in and keep Porzingis, wouldn't Payton be the ideal floor general to try and implement that?
So if the Magic offered a package centered around Payton, Gordon the sixth pick and an unprotected first-rounder next year for Porzingis, would fans be ok with that?
They could even try and keep that unprotected pick and take on Joakim Noah's joke of a contract as well, to make the books balance.
That would require moving Nikola Vucevic, but there are certainly playoff teams who could use his offensive versatility for a postseason run next year.
It's nothing more than a pipe dream right now, but really Kristaps Porzingis should never have been put in this position in the first place.
If the Orlando Magic are quick off the mark they may be able to get him to their team, before the New York Knicks realize what a terrible mistake they have made.
