Kristaps Porzingis Threatened To Quit NBA Before Mavericks Trade, Knicks President Says

The New York Knicks trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks earlier in the year came as a surprise to many, as the Latvian was the best player on their roster. Knicks president Steve Mills has now confirmed they were forced to make the trade by the player, who threatened to quit.

Porzingis was desperate to get out of New York, with the president revealing that not only was the player ready to quit the team, but he was willing to leave the NBA and return to Europe if not granted a trade. The 23-year-old also gave the management a deadline to ensure the trade was completed.

"When he walked into our office — my office and Scott [Perry] was sitting there with me — and point blank said to us, 'I don't want to be here, I'm not going to re-sign with the Knicks, and I'll give you seven days to try and trade me or I'm going back to Europe'," Mills said during a fan forum series Wednesday.

The Knicks had no option but to trade Porzingis and they did so to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal involving Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two future first round draft picks.

Porzingis was cleared by the medical staff before the end of the season but the Mavericks chose not to play him in order to focus on his fitness. The Latvian star will become a restricted free agent this summer, but is expected to sign the $4.5 million qualifying offer for the season that will allow him to enter unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020.

The New York franchise is now looking at a summer of change as they look to rebuild and get back to challenging for at least a place in the playoffs after finishing the 2018-19 season as the worst team in the NBA. Porzingis’ trade has given the Knicks a league high $74 million in max salary cap space and they are targeting players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who will become unrestricted free agents in July.