Potential Trade Packages and Landing Spots for Knicks Star Kristaps Porzingis
Phil Jackson wouldn't really consider trading Kristaps Porzingis, would he?
He would.
He is.
"So we've been getting calls and we're listening, but we're not intrigued yet at this level," the New York Knicks president said during an interview on MSG Network, per ESPN.com's Ian Begley. "But as much as we love this guy, we have to do what's good for our club."
This jibes with a report from The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski that stated the Knicks are shopping Porzingis, their best player, in hopes of landing a top-four pick to use on Kansas' Josh Jackson. Moving a 21-year-old who's set for superstardom is an objectively bad decision, but these are the Knicks. Their incompetence and pettiness is not to be underestimated.
One thing to consider while cycling through landing spots for young Kristaps: New York cannot reasonably move him without getting a monster return—more than the Indiana Pacers can extract for Paul George or the Chicago Bulls can net for Jimmy Butler.
It's an odd concept, since Butler and George are the better players right now. But they're also older and cost way more. In George's case, he's about to explore free agency, rendering him a flight risk. Butler isn't far behind; he can hit the open market in 2019.
Porzingis, meanwhile, will take home a rookie-scale salary for the next two seasons and is essentially under team control for another six to seven years when accounting for his extension or foray into restricted free agency. If a suitor is going to poach him, it will need to pony up primo assets.
Even the Knicks, in all their self-sabotaging glory, know that.
Denver Angles for Twin Unicorns
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Denver Nuggets Receive: PF/C Kristaps Porzingis, C Joakim Noah
New York Knicks Receive: SG Malik Beasley, PF Kenneth Faried, PG/SG Jamal Murray, No. 13 pick, 2019 top-five protected first-round pick
The Denver Nuggets cannot peddle a top-four pick in this year's draft, so they're at a disadvantage. But when a potential Porzingis-Nikola Jokic frontcourt is on the line, they have to try.
Dangling combo guard Jamal Murray is a good place to start. He's a top-seven prospect himself, and he can play on or off the ball, something the Knicks will appreciate if they use the No. 8 pick to select a point guard.
Kenneth Faried doesn't move the needle, but he's on a team-friendly contract and won't bristle at coming off the bench behind younger players. Malik Beasley is a nice wing to have for when the Knicks steer further into their rebuild by dumping Carmelo Anthony, Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas, and Jackson can use the No. 13 selection to draft a stretchy big who soaks up Porzingis' minutes—preferably Zach Collins, Lauri Markkanen or Justin Patton, depending who's available.
That 2019 choice won't be anything special. The Nuggets are on the rise as it is, and adding Porzingis to a stable of assets that'll include cap space guarantees them a seat at the postseason table. Another first-rounder is nevertheless good to have.
League sources told Yahoo's Jordan Schultz the Knicks are looking to dump the final three years and $55.6 million on Joakim Noah's agreement as part of a Porzingis deal. Other squads might balk at the demand. The Nuggets shouldn't. They can let Mason Plumlee walk and try using Noah as a backup, or they can ride it out a year before attaching one of their remaining pot-sweeteners to a salary dump.
Whatever they decide to do, it'll be worthwhile. How could it not be when Jokic and Porzingis are your frontcourt of the future?
Minnesota Tries for Its Own Dual-Unicorn Setup
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Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: C Joakim Noah, PF/C Kristaps Porzingis
New York Knicks Receive: C Cole Aldrich, PG Ricky Rubio, SG Zach LaVine, No. 7 pick, 2020 top-five protected pick
There's nothing better than a Jokic-Porzingis marriage.
Except a Porzingis-Karl-Anthony Towns union.
The Minnesota Timberwolves shouldn't have much to think about before pulling this trigger. They're still hocking Ricky Rubio to anyone who will listen, per Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, and Noah's contract may not seem like an inescapable albatross to coach-president Tom Thibodeau.
Losing Zach LaVine isn't even that big of a deal. He's working his way back from an ACL injury and will be due max or near-max money in restricted free agency next summer. Unloading the two draft picks stings much more, but that's the price you pay for a dual-unicorn frontcourt that's backed up by a starting-caliber Gorgui Dieng.
The Knicks might be more hesitant to go through with this deal. Rubio isn't a good triangle fit, and they'll no doubt draft a point man with one of their two top-10 picks. And while LaVine promises shooting and (hopefully) explosion, New York will only have a season to decide how much to pay for his outside stroke and bounce.
At the same time: Two top-10 picks. And no Noah. That's a win.
Phoenix, Sacramento and New York Get Weird
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New York Knicks Receive: SG Arron Afflalo (non-guaranteed), No. 4 pick, No. 5 pick
Phoenix Suns Receive: C Joakim Noah, PF/C Kristaps Porzingis
Sacramento Kings Receive: PG Eric Bledsoe, 2018 top-seven protected first-round pick (from Phoenix, via Miami Heat)
Sources told Begley the Phoenix Suns are one of the teams that has engaged in talks for Porzingis. According to Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's John Gambadoro, the Knicks are asking for Devin Booker and the No. 4 pick.
News flash: They aren't getting both. Factor in who the fourth choice will become (Jackson or Jonathan Isaac), and thats akin to the Suns dealing two wings for a big. That shouldn't happen in today's league.
This package is just as enticing—for all parties.
The Sacramento Kings relinquish a top-five selection, but they retain the 10th overall spot while grabbing a fringe-star point guard with two years left on a reasonable contract. They also get next year's Miami Heat pick, which turns into an unprotected 2019 selection if it doesn't convey. And wouldn't you know it, the Kings, as of now, don't own a first-rounder in 2019.
Although the Suns have to eat Noah's deal, they get the battle-tested frontcourt stud they don't yet employ. Porzingis can play beside Dragan Bender or Marquese Chriss in spacey lineups that don't sacrifice size, and Tyson Chandler is the type of guy who won't throw a fit if he's relegated to second-unit duty behind the frontcourt kiddies, and he can be traded if they don't want to stomach salaries for both him and Noah. The Suns will have to address the point guard situation without Bledsoe, but they'll have Brandon Knight, Tyler Ulis and some leftover cap space to do that.
Good luck getting a better immediate return on Porzingis if you're the Knicks. They'll have three top-eight prospects from this year's draft, including two top-five talents, plus extra money after waiving Arron Afflalo. Next season won't be pretty, but they'll have some serious building blocks in place.
Philadelphia Caves to Joel Embiid's Twitter Impulses
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Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: C Joakim Noah, SG/SF Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
New York Knicks Receive: C Cole Aldrich, PF/C Richaun Holmes, PF Dario Saric, 2018 first-round pick
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: PF/C Kristaps Porzingis
You know the rule: If Joel Embiid tweets about it, we have to find a way to make it happen. And, well, it's like he wrote: "We don't care about exit meetings in Philly...you're welcome to join."
First of all, props to Embiid for skirting around the NBA's tampering policy. Second of all, if the Philadelphia 76ers have the opportunity to house Embiid, Porzingis, Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons under one roof, they must seize it.
Sure, they run the risk of flopping next year, only to see the Knicks capitalize on their lottery position. But that foundation, if healthy, is a playoff team, and the Sixers will have mountains of space to spend on more improvements.
No one they give up will truly be missed. Richaun Holmes and Dario Saric are expendable when you have Embiid and Porzingis, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is a small price to pay for ducking Noah's contract. If they can talk themselves into that pick falling outside the top 10, they can rather easily convince themselves to broker this trade.
Getting the Timberwolves on board may prove tricky. It could also be easy. Shabazz Muhammad (restricted) is good as gone this summer, and they have to worry about bankrolling new contracts for LaVine and Wiggins by 2018-19. Snagging a 22-year-old wing with three seasons left on his rookie-scale pact will help keep their bill for perimeter personnel in check, and Noah can mentor the younger bigs. They can try holding out for a Mindaugas Kuzminskas or a Nik Stauskas if they're looking for extra compensation.
The Knicks don't get a top draft selection this year, but with the Sixers relying on so much youth, their 2018 pick could be dynamite. If it's not, New York will have ideal consolation prizes. Holmes' ceiling is that of a floor-spacing rim protector, and Saric is an offensive dream with more defensive chops than Markkanen, who has caught the attention of the Zen Master, according to Wojnarowski.
Boston's Balancing Act Gets a Latvian Spin
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Boston Celtics Receive: PF/C Kyle O'Quinn, PF/C Kristaps Porzingis
New York Knicks Receive: SG Avery Bradley, No. 3 pick, 2018 first-round pick (via Brooklyn Nets)
Of course the Boston Celtics are an option. They're an option for every big name, thanks to the pile of assets team president Danny Ainge has accumulated.
In this case, though, the Celtics are more than a default mention. They're actual suitors, according to the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy. And if they're really smitten by a Porzingis-Al Horford alliance, they should have no qualms about putting together this package.
Avery Bradley, like Marcus Smart (restricted) and Isaiah Thomas, is a free agent in 2018. The Celtics aren't paying all of them. View his inclusion through that lens, and Porzingis is costing them this year's No. 3 pick (so, Josh Jackson) and next year's Brooklyn Nets selection.
Is Porzingis worth what amounts to a pair of top-five prospects and a Bradley rental? That's for them to decide. But it should be on the table knowing they'll maintain the flexibility necessary to add Gordon Hayward in free agency.
As for the Knicks, if they're serious about moving Porzingis, it should take them roughly two milliseconds for them to call no backsies. There are no assurances either of the players chosen with these two picks matches Porzingis' value, but it'll take some impressively bad work from the front office to whiff on (should-be) consecutive top-five selections.
And who knows, a soon-to-be 27-year-old Bradley could wind up being a keeper. He buries threes and plays his butt off on defense, usually in the same game, which is more than the Knicks can say for most of their players.
Utah Adds Some Zing(er) to Its Gobstopper
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Houston Rockets Receive: SF Paul George, C Joakim Noah
Indiana Pacers Receive: PF Trey Lyles, PG/SG Lou Williams, No. 24 pick (via Utah)
New York Knicks Receive: PG Patrick Beverley, PF Derrick Favors, SG/SF Rodney Hood, 2018 lottery-protected first-round pick (from Oklahoma City, via Utah), 2019 first-round pick (via Houston)
Utah Jazz Receive: PF Ryan Anderson, PF/C Kristaps Porzingis
Let's get freaky, team-by-team.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein has the Houston Rockets shopping Ryan Anderson, Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams to clear cap space for star free agents. But they're also interested in joining the Paul George sweepstakes, per the Sporting News' Sean Deveney. If they believe he'll stay long term, taking on Noah's deal is acceptable collateral damage—particularly when you're getting out from under Anderson's contract without losing Trevor Ariza.
Multiple sources informed the Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor the Indiana Pacers have slowed down their quest to relocate George. This is a mistake. Every day he's closer to free agency and punching his one-way ticket to Hollywood. Suitors know this. The Pacers should count themselves as fortunate if they get Trey Lyles, a late first-rounder and Lou Williams' expiring contract for his services.
The Knicks will have to prioritize quantity over quality for this to work, and that's not out of the question.
Beverley is signed through 2018-19 on one of the NBA's best contracts. Derrick Favors will be a free agent in 2018 and cannot seem to stay healthy, but he's a good enough passer to work out of the post in the triangle. He's also just 25.
Rodney Hood poses a similar pickle. He's up for a raise next summer in restricted free agency and coming off a down season, but he encapsulated everything teams want in three-and-D options during the 2015-16 campaign. Two future firsts and no more Noah is the Knicks' reward for rolling the dice on everyone else.
When all is told, the Jazz will have traded Favors, Hood, Lyles and two so-so firsts for Anderson, a Porzingis-Rudy Gobert partnership up front and, most importantly, one heck of a sales pitch to Gordon Hayward.
Lakers Opt for Frontcourt Certainty
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Indiana Pacers Receive: PG/SG Jordan Clarkson, PF Julius Randle, No. 27 pick
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: SF Paul George, C Al Jefferson, PF/C Kristaps Porzingis
New York Knicks Receive: C Tarik Black (non-guaranteed), SG Monta Ellis, SF/PF Brandon Ingram, PF Larry Nance Jr., 2020 top-seven protected first-round pick (via Los Angeles)
Should the Los Angeles Lakers trade for George when they could simply sign him outright over the summer? As ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton laid out, there's a case for both sides:
"After reportedly trading for Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez on Tuesday, the Lakers would have a realistic chance at making the playoffs if they added George. And if they look like a competitive team, the Lakers might be more appealing to other free agents (read: LeBron James) in the summer of 2018. But winning a playoff series next season probably isn't realistic."
Ideally, the Lakers would wait to land George in free agency. Yet, if they're worried about another suitor getting an entire year to sell him on a long-term relationship, they'll need to roll out the lowball offers. And that's just what they're doing, according to Stein: building packages around two late firsts and Jordan Clarkson or Julius Randle.
But the Lakers can push the envelope even further. Helping the Pacers shed the Monta Ellis and Al Jefferson contracts while making Brandon Ingram available paves the way for a blockbuster that lands them both George and Porzingis. Team president Magic Johnson has referred to Ingram as untouchable, but having George ensures he's not indispensable.
Make this trade, and the Lakers go into the summer of 2018 with George, Porzingis, probably Lonzo Ball and tons of cap space once they waive Al Jefferson's non-guaranteed salary. Plus, they'll have the player drafted at No. 28 this year to help grease the wheels of a Luol Deng salary dump.
The Knicks are compromising here. Instead of Josh Jackson, they acquire Ingram. That's perfectly fine—better than fine when they end up with a worker like Larry Nance Jr. and another first-round pick.
Accepting Monta Ellis' deal is the only downside for them. But he can become a free agent in 2018 (player option), and as a rebuilding squad focusing on the big picture, the Knicks shouldn't care if they need to sign his checks for two years. That's just the cost of amassing the right assets.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast co-hosted by B/R's Andrew Bailey.
Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference or NBA.com. Salary information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.
