Kristaps Porzingis will be extension-eligible this July, at which time, if he’s healthy and they’re smart, the New York Knicks will try to lock him up for the next four or five years.
And yet, if his brother and agent, Janis, is to be believed, the 7’1″ skyscraper may not jump at the chance to sign a new deal. Here’s what he told Sporta Avize magazine, as translated by EuroHoops.net (h/t Bleacher Report):
On a new contract with the New York Knicks:
“First – it’s a long time before signing a new deal. “Second – there are so many things that can happen in the season, so it’s a waste of time thinking about it now. He needs to be healthy and play his game. And even that is conditional since we know that (Joel) Embiid was recently awarded a maximum contract for 30 games.”
“The most important question here is this: What do you really want to achieve in your career? Because money – if Kristaps performs at least on his normal level, is gonna come. We are more focused on some other values and not just to quickly sign a new contract so we can collect the money. That’s definitely not our goal, so we won’t be feverishly counting minutes or counting points. You can’t escape the reality and the Knicks must also see that. From their point of view, Kristaps is the focal point at the moment so you cannot upset him much or otherwise, at the end of the season, he will say “it’s not so cool here.” The second question is: Who is the New York audience coming to watch now? To a large extent, it’s Kristaps. So the organization has to take that into account.”
Plenty of NBA players talk a big game when it comes to prioritizing championships over money. Few of them back it up. And that’s fine. These guys should absolutely make all the cash they can, while they can.
But Porzingis’ situation feels more tenuous. He hasn’t been happy with the team. He skipped his exit interview at the end of last season. Former Knicks president Phil Jackson shopped him leading into draft, and all the while Porzingis’ contact with the team was minimal.
https://twitter.com/danfavale/status/926172531308056577
Weave in Janis’ most recent comments, and it wouldn’t surprising to see Porzingis pass up an extension to turn the tables back on the Knicks. They would still have the power to retain him via restricted free agency in 2019, when they can match any offer he receives, but if he’s willing to pass on what we can assume is a max extension, can the Knicks guarantee he won’t also sign his qualifying offer and then enter the unrestricted market in 2020?
Odds are good Porzingis signs at least one more deal with the Knicks. How long it’ll be remains to be seen. But we also can’t count out the most unlikely routes. He clearly distrusts the Knicks, and they’ve earned every bit of his doubt. And with Joel Embiid brokering a monster extension despite his injury history, Porzingis might feel empowered enough to roll the dice on his next two years if it means gaining control of his own fate.
