Kristaps Porzingis Contract Extension Part of Knicks' 'Long-Term Plan'

New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry wants superstar big man Kristaps Porzingis in the fold for the foreseeable future.

When asked about a potential contract extension Tuesday, Perry said the following, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post:

"We'll continue to stay in touch with Kristaps. He's part of our long-term plan. We'll figure out at the appropriate time in terms of when we get into that negotiation We're comfortable where we are with him, and we'll work together with his representation to figure something out."

If no extension is reached before next offseason, Porzingis can become a restricted free agent.

The 22-year-old Porzingis put up career-best numbers last season, but he was limited to just 48 games because of a torn left ACL.

Prior to being lost for the season, Porzingis averaged 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game en route to being named an All-Star for the first time.

Since the Knicks selected the 7'3" Latvian with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 draft, he has steadily developed into one of the NBA's best frontcourt players.

Even so, there are some question marks.

In addition to his health, Porzingis shot just 43.9 percent from the field last season, and his 6.6 rebounds per game represented a regression.

Porzingis is a big-time scorer and shot-blocker, though. He also shot 39.5 percent from three-point range last season, which makes him one of the best stretch bigs in the game.

The Knicks haven't reached the playoffs since 2012-13, and although they have added some talented players through the draft in recent years (Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox), there is no immediate end in sight to their drought.

Provided Porzingis heals well and the Knicks sign him to a long-term deal, however, the pieces may be in place for the Knicks to finally be players in the Eastern Conference in the coming years.