Knicks Deal Porzingis Ending A Wild, Twisted Era

And so ends another bizarre era in Knicks basketball history. Perhaps the weirdest.

Kristaps Porzingis, once the apple of the Knicks eye, the key cog to the their future, the 7-foot-3 Latvian was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks along with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee. For the Knicks and Porzingis was was as much about turning the page than anything else.

Porzingis was always unhappy in New York. A couple years ago he publicly complained about life under the Phil Jackson regime; and reports on Thursday indicated that Porzingis still was not happy with the Knicks, even with a new regime in place.

For a player who has spent the past year on injured reserve as he heals from ACL surgery, he really had no ground to stand on to complain about his place in the organization. The hope was that Porzingis would be the center piece to attract a major free agent talent this summer. Now those plans change.

The 23-year old Porzingis wanted no part of the future of the Knicks. He'll instead head to Dallas where he will be perceived as the next Dirk Nowitzki. Too bad Dallas doesn't realize that Porzingis is not nearly as good or consistent as he was at that age.

All eyes now turn to the Knicks, who at the moment, still own a lottery draft pick in the 2019 draft that could end up leading to Duke power forward Zion Williamson. Even if the Knicks were so lucky to draft Williamson in the draft, who is to say that any prime free agent is going to come here.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving headline the 2019 free agent class. Both guys want to end up places that can win and win now. Are the Knicks, who stand at 10-40 and just traded away its top asset considered a draw? Were they even considered an attractive site before the Porzingis trade?

Those answers are easy.

 No and No.

The cultural stench that surrounds the Knicks has kept free agents from signing at Madison Square Garden going on two decades. It's hard enough to play in New York. It's even worse when the team you play for in New York is run by incompetents.

Still if the Knicks can convince someone, anyone of an All-Star caliber to come here in the summer it will be a victory of shorts.

Getting rid of Porzingis is the least of the Knicks worries. The greater concern is can they, and will they be able to sell New York to top free agents.