New York Knicks: A deeper look at the Kristaps Porzingis trade

With the first blockbuster trade of the 2018-19 season already in the books, the New York Knicks are set for a whole new era of basketball.

New York Knicks fans, yeah we get you. Sticking with your team in sickness and in health is what defines loyalty. But sticking with a permanently ill team is no easy task.

The breaking news came through on Thursday: The Knicks and Dallas Mavericks have agreed upon the first blockbuster trade of the season, one that pairs Kristaps Porzingis with Luka Doncic in Dallas.

The move was first reported by The New York Times‘ Marc Stein:

Let’s take a look at the timeline of the events regarding some key decisions the New York Knicks have made during these past seasons.

• 2015: They drafted Kristaps Porzingis, who turns out to be an All-Star in his third season in the NBA
• 2017: They drafted Frank Ntilikina ahead of Dennis Smith Jr., as the Frenchman averages 5.9 points and 3.2 assists per game compared to Smith’s 15.2 points and 5.2 assists a night
• 2019: They traded their one and only star in Kristaps Porzingis, in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and future cap space

“But wait a minute. If they wanted to have Dennis Smith Jr. that bad, why didn’t they just draft him in 2017?”

Well, welcome to the New York Knicks State of Mind.

Now let’s take a look at New York’s plans for the future. Both Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan will most likely either agree on a buyout or play half a season for the Knicks.

By trading away two bad contracts in Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr., New York creates the financial flexibility to go big in the upcoming free agency class, which is filled with superstars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. It should be noted that both these players have been linked with a move to the Knicks.

So here’s the thing. If the Knicks manage to sign two superstars from the 2019 free agency class, this might end up being considered a great move. Two potential stars would most likely be sharing the court with a top prospect in the upcoming draft class like Zion Williamson or R.J. Barrett, making it even more enticing for them to make New York their permanent home.

But one thing is certain. If those rumors about free agents wanting to play for the Knicks were true, Kristaps must have been a major key in this. Only 23 years old, Porzingis has a very bright future ahead of him as he is already a proven star.

Will these potential Knicks be upset enough to call off their whole move to New York? Even though we can’t know with certainty, it is hard to imagine them being over the moon with this news.

The Knicks have to face the harsh reality that they could end up being left hanging. And if that happens, then they’re back at square one, without a certified franchise cornerstone. New York has missed the playoffs the last five years, and it’ll be six when this season is officially over.

To sum it all up, there are two positive outcomes from this trade. Firstly, the team gets immediately worse, thus enhancing New York’s chance to select with the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to choose a generational talent to lead the franchise.

Secondly, they add Dennis Smith Jr. to the roster, who raised quite a few eyebrows during his rookie campaign before Luka Doncic stole his thunder. Now a member of the Knicks, Smith could evolve his game and form a combo backcourt with Frank Ntilikina, as the two could share their offensive and defensive knowledge with each other.

But if this scheme to sign a big-name free agent doesn’t go according to plan, it would be hard to imagine Madison Square Garden selling out many games once the 2019-20 season tips off.

So, Knicks fans, maybe put your faith in the team one last time?