Mills (r) said Dolan gave he and GM Scott Perry the freedom to make the trade as they saw fitNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The Knicks on Thursday abruptly moved on from F Kristaps Porzingis, sending the player "long billed" as their savior to the Mavericks in a trade that could make the Knicks a "major player in free agency" this summer, according to Marc Stein of the N.Y. TIMES. The trade, which featured several other players from both sides, will give the Knicks nearly $75M in salary cap space this summer -- "enough to offer maximum contracts to two of the top players expected to be free agents." The Knicks have been "regarded in league circles for some time as the foremost threat" to sign Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, who both could be free agents. The deal with the Mavericks means they will have the "financial wherewithal to do so." There will now be "immense pressure on the Knicks to land players at the Durant/Irving level" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/1). THE ATHLETIC's Frank Isola wrote to what extent Knicks Owner James Dolan played a role in trading Porzingis is "unclear, but be sure he was involved on some level." The Knicks are "moving forward in a new direction and their focus is on" the free agent class (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/31). Knicks GM Scott Perry said that the team's "big-picture goal of building around young players hasn't changed in the wake of the Porzingis trade." Knicks President Steve Mills added that Dolan gave him and Perry the "freedom to make the trade as they saw fit" (ESPN.com, 1/31).
DANGEROUS BET: In N.Y., Mike Vaccaro writes it is "almost a stretch to call this a gamble: This is beyond a gamble." The Porzingis trade is "borderline reckless, and the only thing keeping it straddling that border is the notion that at the close of business Thursday, the Knicks are the proud owners" of $74.6M in salary cap space, which "shakes out to two max free-agent deals" (N.Y. POST, 2/1). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Ben Cohen wrote the trade will "either be genius or disastrous" for the Knicks. But the team "won't know either way for about five months" (WSJ.com, 1/31). SI.com's Chris Mannix wrote the Knicks are "choosing not to play it safe." It is a "dangerous game -- and one the Knicks have played before." Mannix: "But it could work." The Knicks "will not be Durant's only option." But there "likely will be some appeal in Durant 3.0 starting anew" in N.Y. It is a place where he can "attempt to breathe life into one of the NBA's flagship franchises" while also "growing his brand in the marketing capital of the universe" (SI.com, 1/31).
PRESSURE IS ON: In New Jersey, Chris Iseman writes despite clearing out cap space, the Knicks will still "need to convince a free agent to sign with them, something they haven't had much success with in recent years." The Knicks "at least had Porzingis as insurance if they missed out in free agency." Regardless of free agency success, the team "still had a superstar to play alongside some young players the Knicks hope will become valuable pieces." Iseman: "Not anymore" (Bergen RECORD, 2/1). On Long Island, Barbara Barker writes Porzingis was "supposed to be the linchpin of the Knicks' rebuild." He was "supposed to be the best thing to happen to the Knicks in years" and be the player "who led them back to respectability" (NEWSDAY, 2/1). The RECORD's Iseman writes the "importance of the Knicks succeeding in free agency increased exponentially with Thursday's trade." With this trade, the future of the Knicks "underwent a monumental shift" (Bergen RECORD, 2/1).
STILL THE SAME OLD KNICKS? In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes under the header, "Steve Mills Proves He's Nothing More Than A James Dolan Puppet." The Knicks are "back to the same old, same old." No matter what happens in the aftermath of this trade, Dolan's trio of coach David Fizdale, Perry and Mills are "off the hook for now." Raissman sarcastically writes Dolan and his management team, as "dysfunctional as they are, do deserve some credit for providing us a surreal story to follow, and fill the gap, for the rest of the NBA season" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/1). In N.Y., Stefan Bondy writes Porzingis was former Knicks President Phil Jackson's draft pick, and "everything associated with Phil Jackson is being torn down by Mills and Perry, player by player." The Knicks signing big-name free agents is "another hypothetical situation in Knicks world, and forever it seems like they're always gambling -- and losing on -- hypotheticals" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/1).
