Many believe the New York Knicks should hold a fire sale ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline—and rightfully so.
The Knicks are three games back of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, and the Detroit Pistons, who sit in front of them as the No. 9 seed, just traded for Blake Griffin. It makes sense for New York to abandon pursuit of a first-round exit and sell off some of its veterans for picks and prospects and, most importantly, better lottery odds.
Kristaps Porzingis wants nothing to do with this plan, though.
From Newsday‘s Al Iannazzone:
Kristaps Porzingis wants the Knicks to be buyers at the trade deadline to improve their chances of making the playoffs.
“Of course,” he said after practice Monday. “Playoff experience for myself individually would be huge at this point in my career — the sooner the better.
“For myself, selfishly I would want to play in the playoffs, but we’ll see what happens and how we can end the season.”
Porzingis may actually get his wish, because he plays for the Knicks. They don’t know how to rebuild. Even when it looked like they were prepared to assume a more gradual approach after firing Phil Jackson, they went ahead and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million deal. If they have an opportunity to trade for a Kemba Walker or make a deal similar to what the Pistons struck with the Los Angeles Clippers, you better believe they’ll consider it—even if it costs Frank Ntilikina and/or a combination of future first-round picks.
But that doesn’t make a buyer’s approach the correct play. The Knicks are already hamstrung financially thanks to the Hardaway Jr. and Joakim Noah contracts. They need to focus on rebuilding from within and collecting cost-controlled assets who can grow with Porzingis.
As a player, of course, it’s Porzingis’ job to rebuke the seller’s notion. But if he’s honest with himself, he has to know, on some level, the Knicks have no business mortgaging their future for a slightly rosier, albeit still hollow, present.
