A New York Knicks insider believes the team should seriously consider replacing defensive anchor Mitchell Robinson with a former first-round pick that was one of the most popular players in Gotham not long ago.
While the New York Knicks 2022-2023 campaign ended in frustration after being eliminated by the surprise Miami Heat in the semifinals, there was a lot to like about their showing over the last six months.
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Young players like Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, and Immanuel Quickley became key parts of the rotation. Julius Randle recaptured his All-NBA form of two years ago, and Jalen Brunson turned out to be the best free agent signing any team made last summer. Plus, the organization ended its decade-long playoff drought of not making it to the second round.
The New York Knicks are not yet serious title contenders, but they may not be far off either. That is why this summer will again be pivotal for the franchise as they look to add pieces to help take them to the next level in 2023-2024. While the team has been linked to All-Stars like Karl-Anthony Towns and Paul George in recent days, an insider for the team has a very outside-the-box idea.
Could New York Knicks consider a reunion with Kristaps Porzingis this summer?
This week, New York Newsday Knicks reporter Steve Popper made the case for the team to replace Mitchell Robinson with the one and only Latvian unicorn himself, Kristaps Porzingis.
“New front office, new coach, no ties to the hopes and dreams that [Porzingis] once carried in New York, and the bridges burned on both sides. What you see now is a possible replacement for Mitchell Robinson in the middle that would provide outside shooting and clear the lane for Brunson, RJ Barrett, and Julius Randle.”
– Steve Popper
Porzingiz was taken by the New York Knicks with the fourth pick overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played three seasons in New York and earned his lone All-Star honors as a member of the Knicks in 2017-2018. That came right before tearing his ACL and missing all of the 2018-2019 season. He was eventually traded to the Dallas Mavericks but had trouble recapturing the heights of his time in NYC and became a major defensive liability.
Over his last two seasons in Washington, he has played well offensively. Averaging over 22 points and eight rebounds in both seasons. While Robinson is worlds better defensively, he has major offensive limitations. The Knicks need more punch on offense and Porzingis would certainly do that while likely being well-received in his return.
- Kristaps Porzingis stats (’22-’23): 23.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 BPG, 39% 3PT
The 27-year-old has a $36 million player option for next season, and it is unclear if he will opt in or test his value in NBA free agency this summer.