Kristaps Porzingis made his Mavericks debut on Wednesday night, marking his first return to NBA action following a 20-month absence.

The Latvia native scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and was a team-leading +13 in 19 minutes on the night, as the Mavericks fell to the Pistons 124-117.

🎥: We may have lost the game, but we got the first look at Luka & KP on the floor together...and we're PUMPED! Who else?! Check out all the game highlights from our second preseason game. #MFFL pic.twitter.com/gu1rYsJJtf

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Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

David Fizdale plans to use several different lineups in the preseason. So we may see a different starting five when New York plays Washington on Friday at Madison Square Garden. 

But Fizdale gave some interesting insight when he answered a question about his starting lineup for Monday's preseason opener.

After the Knicks missed out on landing the big names during the NBA's offseason, the star player they traded away in January now says he's in the best shape of his life. 

Speaking to reporters at Mavericks Media Day, Kristaps Porzingis said he's as healthy as he's ever been on the court.

"I feel great physically," Porzingis said. "I feel 100 percent. I feel probably better than I ever have in my life."

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Dennis Smith Jr. has several goals coming into his second season with the Knicks. One of them? To help R.J. Barrett win Rookie of the Year. 

"I'm treating that as one of my focal points just to help him win Rookie of the Year. And whatever I can do, I'm willing to do it," Smith Jr. said in an interview with Chris Henderson. "It's important for us and it's important for our team and it's important for our morale moving forward so I think it would be major if he won that."

The 2019-20 NBA regular season begins Oct. 23 for the Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs, but RJ Barrett might have his calendar circled for Nov. 8 when New York plays the Dallas Mavericks.

In a Monday AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Bleacher Report, the No. 3 overall pick by the Knicks in June's draft was asked whom he would want to posterize -- among all-time and current players -- if given the chance.

Barrett went with a rather recent and well-known figure for Knicks fan, name dropping former New York power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who spent three-plus years at Madison Square Garden.

There's some fallout between the Knicks and the Spurs over Marcus Morris' decision to renege on his agreement with San Antonio and sign with New York. 

The Athletic published a story quoting a GM who said the Spurs were "pissed" about Morris backing out of his verbal agreement with San Antonio to sign with the Knicks. 

It's understandable that the Spurs would be upset with Morris' decision to back out of the deal. It's also understandable if the Spurs were upset with the Knicks for giving Morris an alternative option. 

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |

After striking out on Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and (presumably) Kawhi Leonard, the Knicks essentially did what they said they were going to do in 'Plan B' of their free agency approach: signed players to team-friendly deals to maintain cap flexibility.

The contracts for Reggie Bullock (two years, $21 million), Bobby Portis (two years, $31 million), Elfrid Payton (two years, $16 million), Taj Gibson (two years, $20 million) and Wayne Ellington (two years, $16 million) all have team options for the second season. The Knicks' deal with Julius Randle (three years, $63 million) has a team option for the third season.

The anger over the club missing on Durant is warranted given the steps the club took to create max cap space. But the Knicks seemed to do well in their pivot to Plan B.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Knicks have had so many low points over the last 20 years that it's hard to rank them. But what happened on Sunday is near the top of the list.

It would have been understandable if they missed out on Kevin Durant because he decided to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors, who could have offered a five-year, $221 million max contract.

But the Knicks lost Durant to the Brooklyn Nets, the supposed junior varsity in town that also landed Kyrie Irving.

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Brooklyn Nets have two of the best players in the NBA -- a gut punch to the New York Knicks.

Kevin Durant announced on Sunday via his sports business network "The Boardroom" that he will be playing with the Nets next season.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported Durant's commitment, the two-time Finals MVP is expected to sign a four-year contract worth just below the max of $164 million. Durant is expected to be joined by his friend, Kyrie Irving, who reportedly will work quickly on reaching an agreement with the Nets.

Pelicans star Anthony Davis has requested a trade, informing the team he has no interest in re-signing. With news of Davis wanting out came reports that the Knicks have strong interest in trading for him. Here are the latest rumors...

June 12, 3:54 PM:

The Anthony Davis sweepstakes has already started, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is hearing the Celtics and Lakers are already engaged in trade talks with the Pelicans.

Those two teams will likely be the Knicks' top competition for Davis' talents next season. Rich Paul, his agent, did mention that the Celtics would likely get him as a rental for one season.

For all the suffering the Knicks faithful has had to endure over the years, one place where New York has generally exceeded expectations is the NBA Draft.

Last year's second round pick, Mitchell Robinson, looks like the Knicks' best prospect. Taking Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick in 2015 was clearly the right move, despite how that relationship played out. 

However, the Knicks have also had their share of busts and blunders, moments the franchise can learn from as the calendar flips to June. New York has the third overall pick, its best shot at a future star since Patrick Ewing and arguably one of the most important selections in team history. Here are some lessons they can draw from past miscues to make the right decision this time around.

Knicks coach David Fizdale said last month that he'd like to see guard Dennis Smith Jr. improve his shooting and conditioning. And that's exactly what Smith Jr. plans to work on this summer.

"He's focused on shooting and conditioning, 1000 percent," Smith Jr.'s longtime trainer, Shawn Farmer, said in a phone interview Friday with SNY.

Smith Jr., who suffered a minor ankle injury recently, will work to make some changes to his shooting form this summer, both under the guidance of Knicks coaches and on his own...

Ex-Knicks coach Derek Fisher, who had a strong relationship with Kristaps Porzingis during their time together in New York, believes Porzingis will thrive with the Dallas Mavericks. 

"I think Kristaps has been able to move on. I think he's going to be happy in Dallas. He works for a passionate owner in Mark Cuban. Rick Carlisle is an amazing basketball coach. And they have kind of a culture there that's been established for a while… so I think Kris will be fine," Fisher, the current coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, said in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

"I think the Knicks, even though the wins aren't coming, they're starting to lay the foundation and the groundwork for becoming successful again. And that's what we were trying to do during my time there. It doesn't always work out. You can second-guess it after the fact. But in some situations it's best for parties to move and separate and I think for Kristaps and for the Knicks it probably was best."  

Reports of superstar forward Kristaps Porzingis giving the Knicks an ultimatum were confirmed by team president Steve Mills on Wednesday.

Mills and GM Scott Perry were on hand for a fan forum series on Wednesday afternoon, and Mills acknowledged that Porzingis gave the Knicks an ultimatum as he announced he wanted to be traded, confirming earlier reports in the days after the trade.

"When he walked into our office -- my office and Scott was sitting there with me -- and point blank said to us, 'I don't want to be here, I'm not going to re-sign with the Knicks, and I'll give you seven days to try and trade me or I'm going back to Europe,'" Mills explained...

With the Knicks entering Tuesday night's NBA Draft lottery with a 14 percent chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick, the team already has plenty to occupy itself with before worrying about where other teams are selecting. 

They will, however, be keeping an eye on whether the Mavericks earn a top five pick. If Dallas -- which has the eighth-best lottery odds (six percent chance at the top selection) -- drops below fifth, the Knicks can pick up a pair of first round picks. 

The first would be an unprotected first-rounder in 2021, followed by a 2023 first round pick that is top 10 protected. 

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Moments after the original NBA Draft Lottery, back when the basketball gods or conspiracy or whatever you want to believe gifted Patrick Ewing to the Knicks, Dave DeBusschere talked about how antsy he got before it all played out. 

"I couldn't listen to the commissioner; I was very nervous," the then-Knicks exec said on the television broadcast. 

Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter | 

Here's what's known about the Knicks and Anthony Davis: 

New York discussed a potential Davis deal before the February trade deadline. It didn't come to fruition, in part, over uncertainty surrounding Kristaps Porzingis' potential long-term future in New Orleans. 

Based on those discussions in February, it seems logical that the Knicks will at least place a call to new Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin about a Davis trade in the coming weeks. 

Now that the Knicks can put their miserable season behind them, all eyes turn toward the big summer they've been planning for.

Whether they land the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery is out of their hands, but they've put all their eggs into luring two top free agents to New York this summer after trading Kristaps Porzingis to open up the requisite cap space. 

Kevin Durant has been linked with a move to the Knicks for months now, with several reports indicating that it's essentially a done deal. Kyrie Irving could join him. But with the bar being set that high for the Knicks in free agency, what happens if they don't land those guys, if their summer falls short of the expectations that have been building throughout the entire season? 

The 2018-19 season is in the books, and for the Knicks it was tied for the worst in franchise history with a 17-65 record. Things aren't completely bleak for Knicks fans.

The Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving rumored tandem seems more and more inevitable by the day, and even if that scenario doesn't come to pass, New York has loads of financial flexibility and young talent. The Knicks have been in similar predicaments in the past, which can provide context to their current situation, and expectations for what's to come.

The NYPD is reportedly investigating a claim by a woman who says former Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis raped her merely hours after he suffered his torn ACL against the Bucks back on Feb. 7, 2018. 

The allegations, which cops say are "credible" according to The Post, detail Porzingis inviting the woman back to his luxury apartment at the Sky building in Midtown West Manhattan, which she agreed to. When they entered the apartment, the woman claims Porzingis held her down and raped her. 

It was discussed that Porzingis was going to offer $68,000 to pay for the woman's brother's college tuition to keep her quiet. However, that fell through. The woman admitted that she kept quiet this long because of the money Porzingis had promised. 

It has nearly been a month since the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks in the biggest blockbuster deal of the NBA trade deadline. And though Porzingis hasn't talked about the whole situation yet, he did talk about wanting to get back on the court. 

The 7-foot-3 Latvian is still working his way back to game action, and he has been seen down in Dallas working on his jumper and post moves with trainers as his rehab continues. Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle has said that Porzingis won't be suiting up as the regualr season comes to a close, but that doesn't mean the All-Star doesn't think he is ready to go.

"I feel healthy, I feel great," Porzingis said at Mavericks practice on Wednesday. "I'm antsy to get back on the court as soon as possible and I know I'm ready. So we'll see, I don't know."

On the same day Knicks owner James Dolan stumbled through a radio interview, Kristaps Porzingis threw some shade at his former club.

During a television interview Tuesday night with TNT, Porzingis -- who was traded to the Dallas on Jan. 31 -- praised the Mavericks organization and painted it as a more stable environment than the one he had been in with the Knicks.

"There's a culture. You can feel that," Porzingis said. "Guys like Dirk (Nowitzki,) like JJ (Barea,) they've built that culture and they're a really important part of this organization. Just seeing all those great personalities being in this organization, being a part of this culture, makes me want to be a part of it."

When Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Mavericks before the NBA trade deadline, it sent shockwaves through the NBA as the Knicks sent away their face of the franchise. But the Knicks stated that Porzingis wanted to be traded, saying he was unhappy in New York. 

Speaking on ESPN's "The Michael Kay Show" on Tuesday to discuss the incident this weekend at MSG regarding a Knicks fan, Knicks owner James Dolan also touched on the Porzingis traded briefly as well. Though he didn't want to speak for Porzingis, who still hasn't discussed his "stay woke" comment or told his side of the story since the trade, Dolan said the Latvian big man basically left the team no choice.

"I thought our guys tried really hard to integrate him in our system," Dolan said. "I don't want to put words into his mouth. When he came in and said to us, 'I wanted to be traded' that sort of cast the dye on what we had to do."

If the majority of Knicks fans had their way regarding this summer's free agency class, then both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant would be wearing Knicks jerseys to begin next season. 

But count Charles Barkley as a vocal dissenter to either playing under the bright lights of Broadway.

The Turner analyst told reporters Tuesday, according to Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina, that he would advise Durant that he's not tough enough to play in New York. Barkley also said the same applied for Irving. 

Kristaps Porzingis made his return to New York on Monday, but it wasn't at Madison Square Garden. Instead, it was further downtown in Brooklyn where his new Mavericks squad was beaten badly by the Nets. And as the game ended, Porzingis was swift to leave the Barclays Center court as he didn't want to answer any questions regarding his departure from the Knicks last month.

After the shocking blockbuster deal just before the NBA trade deadline between the Mavs and Knicks, Porzingis left by telling Knicks fans know to "stay woke." This statement on his Instagram came after the Knicks' comments about how Porzingis was unhappy and forced the team's hand to trade him. Porzingis has yet to address any of this since shipping out to Dallas. 

Instead, Porzingis' new teammates and head coach answered for him, but one teammate that was shipped to Dallas with him in Tim Hardaway Jr. knows the Knicks made a big mistake. 

The Dallas Mavericks visit the Brooklyn Nets where Tim Hardaway Jr. will make his return to New York. Kristaps Porzingis, meanwhile, continues to sit out the remainder of the season. 

The summer of 2010 was going to be the Knicks' summer. 

Finally. 

After years -- make that decades -- of bloated payroll and anemic win totals, things were going to change. The change started in 2008 with the hiring of former Pacers exec Donnie Walsh, who made it his top priority to clear cap space, something the Knicks had never done in the era of free agency. He dealt Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph, the team's two top scorers, in the season's first month, with the focus firmly on the summer of 2010, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amaré Stoudemire would all be free agents. The big-ticket guys always talked about how much they loved playing in Madison Square Garden -- now one, or even two, of them could make the World's Most Famous arena their home for max money.

Well, we all know what happened next.

After the Knicks traded Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis two weeks ago, the team apparently is trying to distance itself from him so much that it doesn't feel the need to host Latvian Heritage Night.

The Knicks will no longer be holding the event, according to The Athletic. The celebration was originally scheduled for Feb. 24 when the Knicks host the Spurs.

The Brooklyn Nets have been a pleasant surprise in the NBA this season. Seen as a team looking on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Nets find themselves in sixth place in the East (29-27), just a few hours before the NBA's trade deadline. 

The Nets' success has transformed them from a seller at the trade deadline to a possible buyer. Entering Monday's meeting, Brooklyn has gone 20-8 in its last 28 games and is fresh off of a successful January that saw the team post an 11-4 record and the fourth-best defensive rating (106.9 points allowed per 100 possessions) in the NBA.

The franchise has several paths it can pivot to as the deadline approaches...

Although Knicks fans may have had their trade fill following the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster, there's still some time to go until the trade deadline with several possible directions for New York.

Here are a few of the directions they can go in by Thursday afternoon.

Anthony Davis

Speaking to reporters Wednesday night for the first time in over a week, Warriors star Kevin Durant ripped the media's recent coverage of him -- coverage where many speculated his silence had to do with the Knicks recently opening up two max free agency slots for this summer.

Durant had been largely silent since the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis, and recently went on a Twitter liking spree of users who were bashing an article that connected his silence to his pending free agency and the Knicks. 

When Durant broke his silence on Wednesday night, he didn't hold back...

It has been almost a week since the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks, yet more continues to come out about the details of his rocky relationship with the franchise. 

Per Marc Berman of The Post, Porzingis' brother/agent, Janis, wanted to have a bigger role with the Knicks, which included getting jobs within the organization for members of Porzingis' entourage. 

The Knicks had official positions for friends of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire during their tenures in New York, but nothing was ever done for Janis' requests. 

As Kristaps Porzingis lifted his new Mavericks threads during Monday's introductory press conference in Dallas, it was the official end to a crazy few days that saw the 7-foot-3 Latvian go from the Knicks' franchise star, to a disgruntled one looking for a new beginning, to the centerpiece in a shocking blockbuster deal.

The deal went down so fast that all the details surrounding the evolution of trading New York's franchise cornerstone were left merky. That is until The New York Times' Marc Stein did some digging to solve some of the questions Knicks fans may still have. 

Possibly the biggest question is whether or not the Knicks got the best deal for the 23-year-old Porzingis, who is almost a year out since he tore his ACL last season. It turns out New York was quietly poking around the league with Porzingis' name in trade packages for most of last month. They were looking to see if teams would part ways with their presumed untouchable players, like Jazz PG Donovan Mitchell and Kings PG De'Aaron Fox, but nothing came of it. 

Now that the dust has settled from the Knicks and Kristaps Porzingis breakup, New York is shining a spotlight on its remaining assets to pursue one of the highest-earning basketball players in the world.

The Knicks seem to have their sights set on acquiring pending free agent Kevin Durant. Although the glamour for a nine-time All-Star to play for a New York team that enters Tuesday on a 13-game losing streak is nowhere to be found, the Knicks possess a key chip in DeAndre Jordan.

The two-time NBA rebound leader joined the Knicks in the package deal that sent Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks. New York could flip Jordan to pursue another max contract player like Anthony Davis, ending up as the buyout candidate. But the Knicks may have other ideas for Jordan.

Kristaps Porzingis is just focused on the future. 

The former Knicks star was introduced as a member of the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke, but the 7-foot-3 Latvian had no interest in discussing why things went awry in New York that led to the trade. 

"The situation is what it is," he said. "I would rather focus on what's ahead of me than looking back. 

The Knicks seem to have their sights set on pending free agent Kevin Durant, and even before the Kristaps Porzingis trade that cleared space for two max free agents this summer, Durant (and his brother) were dropping hints that he could be on his way out of Golden State. 

After the Porzingis trade, Knicks officials are now reportedly "highly optimistic" that they'll land Durant via free agency. And Durant has been "nowhere to be found" in the Warriors' locker room after the last two games -- something Mercury News writer Dieter Kurtenbach finds odd.

"Durant is almost always around postgame -- he's usually one of the last guys to leave the locker room after a game," Kurtenbach wrote Monday morning. "But over the last two contests, he's been nowhere to be found. And you can't convince me that has nothing to do with the Knicks."

Knicks president Steve Mills opened up on Sunday about the Kristaps Porzingis trade, going into detail about why the team felt it had to act quickly and what they needed in return.

While the Knicks have been criticized in some circles for acting as quickly as they did while trading Porzingis, Mills said the team didn't want to let things go beyond the Feb. 7 trade deadline out of fear that the team would lose leverage.

"We felt the 7th was really important because if we let this go beyond the 7th, the leverage completely shifted. We would not have control of the situation. We weren't sure what Kristaps was gonna come in and tell us. We didn't know if he'd come in and tell us he wanted to be traded, or he may have come in and said he wanted to do a one-year contract with a player option, which would then have made him untradable and he would have had all the leverage."

After bidding farewell to the fans, Kristaps Porzingis has been sounding off on social media since the Knicks traded him to the Mavericks Thursday in the deal that shook the NBA world. But his most cryptic message was posted on his Instagram story on Sunday morning:

"The city deserves better than that... My suggestion for Knicks fans is to STAY WOKE!! Peace"

It's not clear what KP is saying the city "deserves better than," nor is it clear why Knicks fans should be staying "woke." 

Knicks coach David Fizdale, forward Kevin Knox and center Mitchell Robinson all look to future after the big Kristaps Porzingis deal that sent the unicorn to the Mavericks. 

"It's been a whirlwind," Fizdale said Saturday.

Watch everyone's comments on the trade here.

In the aftermath of the Kristaps Porzingis trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, it became evident that there was a divide between the All-Star forward and the Knicks. 

There was a Daily News report that Porzingis voiced his frustrations to his teammates and Enes Kanter, another disgruntled Knicks veteran, confirmed those frustrations following Friday's 113-99 loss to the Celtics. 

The 26-year-old center, who has also demanded a trade from the Knicks after having his playing time diminished, said that he spoke with Porzingis often -- including a summit at halftime during a game against the Thunder last month -- and added the 23-year-old was unhappy with how the team was treating Kanter. 

The biggest return in the Knicks' trade of Kristaps Porzingis and other veterans with the Mavericks on Thursday was the nice chunk of cap space they freed up. It showed that the Knicks are throwing all their cards into an intriguing free agent class that could involve All-Stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson to name a few.

Knicks fans are already looking ahead to a Durant-Irving duo at Madison Square Garden, as the team has the ability now to sign two max players. But does this strategy mean New York is out on the Anthony Davis sweepstakes?

Not necessarily...

David Fizdale has nothing but love for the Knicks' former Latvian baller. 

A day removed from the blockbuster trade that sent the face of New York's franchise, Kristaps Porzingis, to the Dallas Mavericks -- along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke -- the Knicks head coach began his press conference with appreciation for his athletes.

"I just want to start off by thanking the guys that are going to Dallas," Fizdale said. "They were unbelievable professionals for me. It's never easy for a coach in these moments because you get so attached to guys. You go through a season where you struggle. I miss those guys and I really appreciate their approach to helping us."

The Knicks (10-40) will play their first game after trading All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis (and Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke) to the Dallas Mavericks for two first-round picks, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and DeAndre Jordan. The news of the trade emerged rapidly, after reports earlier in the day that Porzingis -- who has yet to play this year as he recovers from a torn ACL -- had met with Knicks management to express that he'd prefer to be traded.

Another wrinkle was revealed in the aftermath of the Kristaps Porzingis trade on Friday. 

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the 23-year-old All-Star was nearing the completion of his rehab from ACL surgery he had last February and was "essentially cleared to play."

Porzingis, however, was wary of how the Knicks would handle his potential return amid the team's tanking efforts, further dividing the rift between the 7-foot-3 Latvian "unicorn" and the Knicks' front office. 

The Knicks' return in the Kristaps Porzingis trade didn't feel like the best package they could have gotten for the 7-foot-3 All-Star. DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews are expiring contracts that New York may want to trade or waive outright, and the two future first-rounders will come in a couple years. 

So the only true return that will impact the Knicks immediately will be 21-year-old PG Dennis Smith Jr., who the Mavericks have been shopping prior to the Feb. 7 trade deadline.

Many Knicks fans will remember Smith being a top candidate to take two years ago with the eighth overall pick, but Phil Jackson's regime decided to go with Frank Ntilikina instead. Smith was taken with the ninth overall pick by Dallas right after Ntilikina.

Knicks officials are highly optimistic in their chances of landing Kevin Durant in free agency should he opt out of his player option and become an unrestricted free agent this summer, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

The Knicks, who cleared enough cap space to sign two free agents to max contracts this summer with Thursday's blockbuster Kristaps Porzingis trade, are considered to have a "strong chance" at landing the 30-year-old former MVP.

Of course, that is reliant upon Durant opting out of his $31.5 million player option with the Warriors, who are seeking their third straight championship with Durant. A max deal with Golden State would be a five-year, $221 million contract, while a max deal with any other NBA team would be a four-year, $164 million contract.

The Knicks made a stunning trade on Thursday that sent Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan and two future first-round picks. 

While the trade sent shockwaves through the league, it also opens up the necessary cap space for the Knicks to sign two max contract free agents this offseason. 

This is how the New York back pages reacted to the trade: 

The Knicks' roster is in a limbo after the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Upon Thursday's blockbuster trade with the Mavericks that also sent Tim Hardaway Jr. Courtney Lee and Trey Burke to Dallas, the players the Knicks received -- Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan and Wes Matthews -- won't be cleared and in New York in time for Friday's game against the Celtics.

And considering Emmanuel Mudiay is dealing with a shoulder injury and Frank Ntilikina suffered a groin injury, who actually will play for the Knicks?

When news broke earlier Thursday that Kristaps Porzingis was unhappy with how the Knicks' new direction was headed and no longer wanted to be a part of it, many believed the Knicks wouldn't give in. 

But that's exactly what they did when they sent Porzingis, along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee and Trey Burke to Dallas in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, a 2021 unprotected first-round pick and a 2023 top-10 protected first-round pick.

So why did the Knicks decide to grant Porzingis' wish? They had all the control with the Latvian a restricted free agent, no no-trade clause in his contract, and the fact that he still has yet to play since his torn ACL last February, making his value much lower than it may have been in the past...