Knicks Trade Offer Almost Acquired Eight-Time All-Star: Source
Vice President William Wesley and President Leon Rose of the New York Knicks watch a game against the Chicago Bulls.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Knicks and Celtics considered a trade in 2019 that would have sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston and Kyrie Irving to New York.
In a preview piece for the NBA Finals in 2024, which pit the Mavericks of Irving against the Celtics of Porzingis, Fischer went back to the transaction that was shelved in 2019.
“Come late January [of 2019], when New York’s front office started to quietly pursue deals to move on from Porziņgis, the Mavericks swooped in and sent a package headlined by two first-round picks to New York, before the Celtics and Knicks even held tangible dialogue about swapping Irving for the 7-2 sharpshooter, league sources told Yahoo Sports,” Fischer wrote on June 3.
The Knicks traded Porzingis to the Mavericks in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two first-round draft selections after those trade negotiations broke down. Irving, on the other hand, would sign a free agent contract with the Brooklyn Nets to play with Kevin Durant.
What Would Have Occurred
As Fischer’s piece made clear, according to multiple insiders, the Knicks attempted to match up Irving and Kevin Durant in 2019. In 2019, the NBA landscape might have been drastically altered if they had successfully completed the trade for Irving from Boston.
“The Knicks signaled to the league that they were planning to spend big in free agency to acquire two All-Stars, Durant and Irving at the top of the list, through the trade of Porziņgis,” Fischer wrote. The people around Madison Square Garden might have made a big enough impression on Irving if the Knicks had been able to sign him before the trade deadline, and he might have convinced Durant to join him in Manhattan rather than the city across the East River. Irving might not play for the Mavericks in the end since Porziņgis and [Luka] Doncic’s partnership ended.
Try the Topsy-Turvy Path to the NBA Finals in 2024.
Irving and Porzingis moved teams in 2019, and they did the same in the following years. Less than three seasons into his time with the Mavericks, Porzingis was traded from Dallas to Washington, while Irving was transferred from Brooklyn to Dallas in 2023. The Latvian’s time in D.C. was short-lived as however, as in the 2023 summer, the Wizards traded him to the Celtics.
Remarkably, the two players’ confused paths led them to the NBA Finals in 2024. Irving’s relationship with Luka Doncic and the Celtics’ belief in Porzingis, who inked a long-term contract extension with the team only days after arriving, suggest that both players have found fulfilling roles.
Have fun
Following a Celtics victory on February 15, Porzingis remarked, “I haven’t stopped smiling since being here,” according to Boston.com. “I simply love it here so much. It’s unbelievable to play for these kinds of supporters in this kind of company.
It’s basically a pretty high-level organization from the top down. And as players, we understand that we must participate every single night.
Irving was as complimentary of the Mavericks organization following his role in helping them secure a trip to the NBA Finals in 2024. Irving also gave himself credit for being mature enough to blend in perfectly with Doncic and the Mavericks.
Irving stated, via Mavs.com, “What you’re seeing now is a version of me that I’m proud of.” “I offer myself affirmations when I gaze in the mirror every day. I pray and do meditation. To assist me stay grounded, I’ve merely increased the consistency of my regular routines. Understanding your origins plays a role in understanding who you are.
