The Kristaps Porzingis era in New York is over, and more details appear to be emerging about what led to its hasty demise.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News noted this week that the Knicks traded Willy Hernangomez, Porzingis’ best friend in the league, and alienated another one of his international buddies on the roster in Enes Kanter.
“He said to me, keep your head up, stay strong. He believes in me,” Kanter was quoted as saying about Porzingis. “Whether I’m on the bench or he sees me frustrated, he always says to me, ‘Keep your head up.’ It means a lot for an All-Star to talk to me that way.”
Hernangomez, who was also teammates with Porzingis on Real Madrid in Spain’s Liga ACB, played with him in New York for two seasons before being dealt to the Charlotte Hornets at the 2018 trade deadline. Kanter, meanwhile, is locked in a messy stalemate with the Knicks as he continues to log DNPs.
As for Porzingis, he hinted at some drama with the Knicks after this week’s trade to the Dallas Mavericks, so this is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
