Knicks News: Latest on Kristaps Porzingis, Andrea Bargnani and Lou Amundson

It has been an odd offseason for the New York Knicks.

Despite the constant consideration from a number of top free agents, the Knicks spent the first few days of free agency struggling to find the right pitch concoction to woo free agents to New York, thus missing out on some of the more sought-after players.

But since then, the team has found the formula, signed a number of players and made enough deals to expect an improvement on last season’s record. With Kristaps Porzingis coming in via the draft, the Knicks have a lot to look forward to next year.

There is still plenty of time left before the season, though, which means plenty more moves for Phil Jackson and company to make. Here are some of the latest going-ons in the Knickerbocker organization.

Kristaps Porzingis finding his way with the Knicks

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

If you close your eyes and listen hard enough, you can still hear the sound of the Knicks fans from Brooklyn on draft night. You can still hear the boos echoing through the Barclays Center when Kristaps Porzingis' name was announced.

The reaction wasn’t a huge surprise—Knicks fans have been burned by foreign draft picks before—but even so, it wasn’t a promising start to Porzingis' career in New York, especially with expectations of him being the future of the franchise.

According to a tweet by Frank Isola of New York Daily News, though, Porzingis said the boos have slowed and the fans are becoming more accepting of him, even if the social media outlash is still in full force:

One of the biggest criticisms of Porzingis heading into draft night was his size and perceived lack of physicality on the block, even with all of the positives he brings to the court balancing them out.

The Latvian big man has acknowledged he needs to put on some weight before he can bump with some of the players he will face on both sides of the court in the NBA, according to Isola.

"I’ve got to get stronger," Porzingis said. "Ten pounds, 15 pounds, maybe 20, maybe 30. Little by little I’ll be putting on the weight. But I want to see if I have the same athleticism and if I can move the same way."

No player envisions himself being booed on draft night by the hometown fans, but even if his first night with the franchise was rocky and the fans are still taking some time to warm up to him, Porzingis is headed in the right direction in his first preseason with New York.

The Brooklyn Nets agree to a deal with Andrea Bargnani

Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press

While one sharpshooting European big man is taking his first baby steps in New York and the league, another appears to be on his way out.

Andrea Bargnani—who has been with the Knicks for the past two seasons—hasn’t quite lived up to his status as a former No. 1 overall pick since joining the league and has struggled with injuries since joining the Knicks, but he has the potential to be a starting-caliber player when he is on the court:

It is this upside, along with his shooting prowess, that saw Bargnani ink a deal with the Knicks’ Eastern Conference rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein:

For most of the day, it was assumed, per reports by Stein, that the Sacramento Kings were going to add Bargnani to help provide shooting around starting center DeMarcus Cousins, but the Nets surprised everyone with the last-minute grab of the Italian center.

Although he did it in limited playing time, Bargnani averaged 14.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season and would be a boost to the Nets' hopes for next season, but the signing could serve as a minor blow for the Knicks, who have been trying to pick up the pieces after one of the worst years in franchise history.

Lou Amundson re-signed by the Knicks

John Bazemore/Associated Press

The Knicks reached an agreement to re-sign veteran big man Lou Amundson to a one-year deal, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday Sports:

Last season, Amundson averaged six points and six rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game for the Knicks, including 35 starts for the team, and he should add much-needed depth at the 4.