New York Knicks Rumors: Kristaps Porzingis Unhappy, Future Uncertain As Team Shops Carmelo Anthony

Much of the talk surrounding the New York Knicks in the 2017 offseason has been regarding their attempts to trade Carmelo Anthony, but it appears that the team currently has a rocky relationship with another one of their key players. Kristaps Porzingis is reportedly not happy with the organization, and it could eventually cost the Knicks one of the NBA’s bright young stars.

Porzingis’ frustrations with the team became clear at the end of the regular season when he skipped his exit meeting with New York management. Former team president Phil Jackson didn’t help matters when he admitted that trade rumors involving Porzingis were true, though the Knicks were unable to make a deal before the NBA Draft.

READ: Will The Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony?

Even though the team has since parted ways with Jackson, all of the problems between the Knicks and Porzingis have yet to be resolved.

“The biggest storyline going forward for me is how things get patched up or don’t get patched up with Kristaps Porzingis and the organization,” ESPN’s Ian Begley said on Tuesday’s edition of “The Lowe Post” podcast. “I think if things don’t change, and forget about Phil for a second, because his relationship with Phil was by in large fine. It was just how things were being run underneath Phil that he had issues with. People underneath Phil were causing problems, and I think a lot of those people are still here so there are issues to be resolved there with Kristaps.

“Call it an educated guess. If things don’t get resolved there, I think he could leave a ton of money on the table and walk as a free agent.”

The idea of Porzingis leaving New York is a disastrous one for Knicks fans. The 21-year-old has been the one shining light in a dark tunnel over the last few years, looking like a potential superstar as the Knicks continue to be one of the worst teams in basketball.

Porzingis is still under New York’s control for the foreseeable future. He has two years left on his contract at a more than reasonable price before he can become a restricted free agent in 2019. That’s when things could get tricky if the former No.4 overall draft pick is looking to get out of the Big Apple.

As an unrestricted free agent, the Knicks would be able to match any long-term offer that Porzingis might receive. Begley suggested that Porzingis could refuse to sign a new lucrative contract and just play for the qualifying offer of $7.5 million. That would allow Porzingis to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020 and play for any team that has enough salary cap room to sign him.

It’s extremely rare for young players to turn down their first-ever chance at making big money, though it isn’t unheard of. It’s what Greg Monroe did in 2014, playing for the Detroit Pistons under the one-year qualifying offer of $5.5 million. He signed a three-year contract worth more than $51 million with the Milwaukee Bucks a year later.

Porzingis’ numbers improved last season, though New York didn’t exactly do a great job of fostering his development. They traded for Derrick Rose, a shoot-first point guard that averaged more field-goal attempts than Porzingis. Anthony remained the focal point of the offense, leading the team with 22.4 points per game on 18.8 shots per game.

The end result was another losing season, as the Knicks went 31-51 and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year. Jackson was fired just a week after the draft, highlighting the dysfunction that has characterized the organization for the last 15 years.

READ: Tim Hardaway Jr. Says He Wants Carmelo Anthony To Stay With Knicks

New York’s selection of Porzingis in the first round of the 2015 draft was met with immediate criticism, but that didn’t last long. He finished second in voting for Rookie of the Year, and he averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his sophomore campaign. Standing at 7’3 with the ability to both make three-pointers and protect the rim on defense, Porzingis is often described as a “unicorn,” and he could become a perennial All-Star if he stays healthy.

It looks like the Knicks have some work to do if they want to make sure that Porzingis reaches his potential with them and not some other team.