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According to New York Knicks president Steve Mills, he and Scott Perry have done everything within their power to repair their relationship with Kristaps Porzingis.
In other words, positive vibes have returned to Knicks-land.
Earlier today, on ESPN Radio’s The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith asked Mills if he was worried about Porzingis pulling a Kyrie Irving or Kawhi Leonard.
For those who may be unfamiliar with what pulling a Kyrie Irving or Kawhi Leonard means, it means requesting a trade.
Here are some of the quotes from the interview posted by ESPN’s Ian Begley:
Steve Mills on if he has any concern about Kristaps Porzingis asking for a trade like other stars have: “No. We’ve worked really hard in rebuilding the relationship with KP….We communicate with KP all the time and we know he feels good about directionally where we’re going.” — https://t.co/4Y2sNN4xCZ
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 28, 2018
For fans of an organization that has gone through more downs than ups, Mills’ words are like heaven to a Knicks fan’s ears. Under former president of basketball operations Phil Jackson, the Knicks front office’s relationship with Porzingis deteriorated to the point where Porzingis skipped out on an exit meeting at the end of the 2017 NBA season, and afterward, there was no surprise that Porzingis trade rumors began to rear its ugly head. Luckily for the Knicks, owner James Dolan, for once, didn’t fall asleep at the helm and fired Jackson.
That was probably the best move Dolan has made for the Knicks organization since he became the owner of the team.
Now, with the relationship with Porzingis repaired, Mills and Perry can focus their attention on building a winning team around their treasured big man and hopefully sign a top free agent to pair with him in the coveted free agent class of 2019, which includes players such as Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and Kawhi Leonard.
