Knicks Trade Rumors: Kristaps Porzingis Demands Reportedly Too High for Teams

The New York Knicks' asking price for Kristaps Porzingis continues to exceed what interested teams are willing to trade for the power forward ahead of the 2017 NBA draft Thursday night.

Adrian Wojnarowski‏ of The Vertical reported there are "several" front offices, including the Boston Celtics', engaging the Knicks in trade talks, but the demands are understandably high.

The latest update falls in line with reporting on the subject earlier in the week. Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports and Zach Lowe of ESPN both heard from sources Tuesday who felt a blockbuster deal involving Porzingis was unlikely due to the price tag.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald noted teams had told him they weren't sure if Jackson was bluffing or not, but planned to stay engaged in discussions just in case the price drops. 

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported the current asking price for the Celtics is the No. 3 overall pick this year, the Brooklyn Nets' first round pick in 2018, and forwards Jae Crowder and Jaylen Brown. 

That said, Ian Begley of ESPN.com noted New York Knicks president Phil Jackson refused to rule out a trade during a Wednesday appearance on the MSG Network.

"We're getting calls. As much as we value Kristaps and what he's done for us, when a guy doesn't show up for an exit meeting, everybody starts speculating on the duration or movability from a club," Jackson said. "So we've been getting calls and we're listening, but we're not intrigued yet at this level. But as much as we love this guy, we have to do what's good for our club."

Porzingis averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks across 66 games for the Knicks during the 2016-17 season, his second in the NBA. He ranked 14th among qualified power forwards in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus.

Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog reported the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs were among the other teams to contact the Knicks about the 21-year-old Latvian's availability. Marc Stein of ESPN confirmed the Celtics are still involved in the discussions, as well.

It doesn't sound like any deal is imminent with the draft set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET Thursday, though.