Shaquille O'Neal Gives Advice To Phil Jackson As Knicks Coach Considers Trading Kristaps Porzingis

New York Knicks fans are accustomed to hearing shocking news about their team all the time. Knicks President Phil Jackson reportedly made his coveted Knicks big man, Kristaps Porzingis, available for trade talks Tuesday. Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal had some thoughts on what the team should do with their young rising star.

The Vertical first reported Tuesday that Jackson and the Knicks weren’t "ruling out" the idea of trading Porzingis. Apparently, a few teams already reached out to the Knicks regarding the power forward. O’Neal was asked Tuesday about the latest rumors surrounding the Knicks and the future of their promising young forward. He reminded Jackson and the team that they should strongly reconsider putting Porzingis in the middle of trades because of his apparent bright future.

"No, keep Porzingis, trade everybody else around him," O’Neal told TMZ. "Try to build around him. This kid's got a great future."

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He added, "He’s working out all summer, I know the guy he’s working out with. He’s getting stronger, and he’s in the weight room. He’s not the type of guy you can just give up. And you do, give him to Cleveland."

The Knicks, who finally used their first round pick, after trading most of the picks away, landed The 7-footer from Latvia. He was picked No. 4 overall in the NBA draft. After being selected, Porzingis heard loud boos from angry fans had never heard of the 7-footer.

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The Knicks, who had abysmal seasons since their 52-win run in 2012, finally gained hope when Porzingis carried a youthful athletic energy back to Madison Square Garden. In his rookie season, Porzingis wowed fans and averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, then averaged 18.1 and 7.2 rebounds the season after.

When asked, former Knick coach Jeff Jan Gundy said the Knicks should give Porzingis a chance. Porzingis has improved but still has a lot of work to do on the court if he wants to become an All-Star in the NBA.

"I thought he was good this year," Van Gundy told the New York Times. "I didn’t think he made the leap of improvement that I was expecting. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a star player. I think the Knicks think he can be a star player. I think Porzingis feels he can be a star player. I think the rest of the N.B.A. actually thinks he can be a star player."

He added, "So if you’re gonna trade someone who can be a star, then you’d be trying to get a star and then maybe other pieces."

If the Knicks do trade the budding big man, they absolutely must make sure they get a player or players that add equal value in return. Besides picking Porzingis, the Knicks have not made successful strides to become a title contender — the Knicks have yet to end a season with a winning record and have fallen short of the playoffs every year since 2013.