Kristaps Porzingis, Knicks Have Mended Relationship, President Steve Mills Says

While there may have been tension between Kristaps Porzingis and the New York Knicks in the past, the two sides have apparently worked to resolve their differences.

On Thursday, New York president Steve Mills revealed on ESPN's The Stephen A. Smith Show that he and general manager Scott Perry have managed to get back on good terms with their franchise cornerstone, via ESPN's Ian Begley:

"We've worked really hard in rebuilding the relationship with KP. For Scott and me, it's been with his brother [Janis Porzingis]. We had to make Janis, who is his agent and his brother, make him feel like he was part of our group and let him understand what we're doing as a team, where we're taking this thing.

"We communicate with KP all the time. And we know he feels good about directionally where we're going. I think you can see that through some of his tweets and social media stuff, and our conversations with him. He's back on board with where we're going and we feel really good about his future with us."

It was just last year that Porzingis skipped his exit interview after the season as a result of his frustrations with the organization. He reportedly was upset with the way then-Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek treated him. Not only that, but he was also reportedly unhappy with the team's lack of a consistent offensive scheme and the way then-president Phil Jackson handled Carmelo Anthony's situation.

Porzingis' brother, Janis, revealed during this past season that the decision to skip the exit interview was a calculated decision, via Eurohoops.net (h/t Newsday's Barbara Barker):

"That wasn't an emotional decision. It wasn't a spontaneous action. We had been thinking about it for a long time and it was considered an honest, well-thought decision we came up with together. It was a logical next step for us, without which we would've been in one situation, but now after we did it—we are in another."

At that point, New York had to figure out how to make things right before it risked alienating its star.

After being taken with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, the 7'3", 240-pound big man has steadily improved. He was selected to his first All-Star team this past season, averaging 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Just 22 years old, his ascent to stardom has only started.

Porzingis is under club control for two more seasons, and the Knicks can offer him a five-year deal worth more than $150 million this summer. Of course, if he's not happy, it would be tough to convince him to sign on long-term.

Losing Porzingis at this point certainly wouldn't help the Knicks get back to relevancy. For a franchise that is in the midst of a five-year playoff drought, it can't afford to be upsetting its best player. That's why it was crucial for Mills and Co. to repair the fractured relationship.