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Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors: 5 teams that should trade for Knicks’ star

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 20, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during a break in action in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during a break in action in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Feb 18, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New York Knick forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) react in the skills challenge during NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets don’t need to make a trade like this. They’ve already got a promising young core, plus ample cap space this summer to hopefully land a veteran star like Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry or Paul Millsap.

But let’s be realistic: Denver has never been a premier free agency destination and they have plenty of assets to make a trade happen. With Nikola Jokic blossoming as a seven-foot superstar and perhaps the NBA’s best passing big, a union among unicorns is tantalizing to think about.

It’d take a king’s ransom to get the Knicks to bite on a deal, especially after engaging in blockbuster trade talks with the Nuggets once before, but it might be worth it to put KP and the Joker in the same frontcourt.

Down the homestretch of the 2016-17 campaign, Emmanuel Mudiay was completely removed from Michael Malone’s rotation, playing behind Jamal Murray and Jameer Nelson. Though it’d be a pity to give up on a former No. 7 overall pick who’s still only 21 years old, if they could sell New York on Mudiay’s potential as their next franchise point guard, they should do it.

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Gary Harris is the biggest loss in this deal, since he’s already one of the game’s best defenders at his position despite being 22 years old. After a career year in which he averaged 14.9 points per game on .502/.420/.776 shooting splits, it’s safe to say this kid is going to be one of the NBA’s most reliable two-way players soon.

Juan Hernangomez is a 21-year-old power forward with stretch-4 potential after shooting 40.8 percent on 1.8 three-point attempts per game as a rookie, but he’d be completely expendable in a deal for the Zinger.

The Knicks would get three promising youngsters, the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft and a future first-rounder for their trouble, while the Nuggets would have one of the most versatile frontcourts in NBA history to build around.

However, Denver’s offer might pale in comparison to a few other teams around the league, and the inclusion of Harris might give the Nuggets front office pause.