Mary Altaffer/Associated Press
Kristaps Porzingis was reportedly willing to return to Europe rather than continue his NBA career with the New York Knicks before the franchise traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in a midseason deal.
SNY noted Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry revealed as much during a fan forum series on Wednesday.
“When he walked into our office—my office and Scott was sitting there with me—and point blank said to us, ‘I don’t want to be here, I’m not going to re-sign with the Knicks, and I’ll give you seven days to try and trade me or I’m going back to Europe,’” Mills said of the ultimatum Porzingis provided.
#Knockstape @KnicksGuy1
Interesting new information on the Porzingis trade from today’s JPM speaker event with Scott Perry and Steve Mills
KP threatened to go back to Europe if not traded within 7 days
Scott and Steve had trade offers lined up dating back to last September https://t.co/JGp1EQQrUV
These comments echo the remarks Mills made in February when he was speaking to MSG Network’s Rebecca Haarlow and said Porzingis “made it clear” he wouldn’t re-sign in New York:
Bleacher Report NBA @BR_NBA
Steve Mills says KP told the Knicks he wasn’t going to re-sign with them
https://t.co/MauIFn8b6A
The Knicks eventually traded him to Dallas along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two future first-round draft picks.
Porzingis is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason and has a qualifying offer for the 2019-20 campaign worth just less than $4.5 million. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported in January that he planned to sign the qualifying offer instead of testing restricted free agency.
That would give him the chance to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020.
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