Despite the fact that the Knicks’ relationship with Kristaps Porzingis is already tenuous, the organization chose not to renew the contract of an assistant coach that he’s particularly close with, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes.
The second-year big man had bonded with Josh Longstaff through his first two years in the league, the pair even training overseas together last summer.
The Knicks didn’t specify why they decided to part ways with the 34-year-old player development specialist, one of several holdovers from Derek Fisher‘s coaching staff prior to the 2016/17 campaign, but the decision is curious. Per Bondy, the Knicks are said to be moving forward with a heavy focus on the triangle all throughout the organization.
Knicks fans have already seen their front office clash with the 7’2″ budding star this offseason. Porzingis ditched his exit meeting with the team last month to head back to his native Latvia. Just this week, team president Phil Jackson and Porzingis’ brother supposedly connected to discuss the apparently strained relationship but the sit down isn’t said to have been very effective.
All told, the move is the latest questionable one out of a front office that has spent the better part of the past year denigrating Carmelo Anthony, though a top-down effort to more seriously implement the triangle may put things in perspective.
Rumored to be a candidate to fill the vacancy is former Knick Pablo Prigioni. The 40-year-old played in Europe this season but served with the Knicks for three seasons ending in 2014/15.
Man, Josh Longstaff must get all the ladies.
Ha
“All tolled”?
Not to be that guy, but it’s all told. It looked a little funny and I had to google it myself to figure it out.
Feel better now? Smh
Josh Longstaff
“to now renew”…????? Austin, you been drinking tonight?
Porzingis wants Melo around but Phil doesn’t. The Knicks MUST draft Malik Monk and trade Melo to OKC in exchange for that draft pick they have along with Abrines. Knicks can draft Bacon or Kennard and just rebuild around Monk and Porzingis. The Thunder roll out a contender with Westbrook-Oladipo-Melo-Sabonis-Adams
There’s only one ball in OKC.
Dude when Russ hits the bench Melo can take over and Russ is far from selfish, he spent a lot of energy trying to get his teammates shot and they were not hitting them. I am pretty sure Melo will have no problem converting passes from Russ into more buckets then misses
Okc doesn’t have enough cap space
Salaries don’t match. Thunder would have to send over Kanter and maybe a sign and trade with Gibson. Very unlikely
The way Jackson has been acting I bet they let this guy go to get back at Porzingis for showing his displeasure with the way the Knicks are being run.
Or, more likely, because he and Melo helped Porzingis develop an NBA level of entitlement that lead him to think he owns the team in his second year.
Out with the old bitter men and in with team basketball and people who aren’t afraid of geometry.
I agree 1000%, no typo…
Jackson is an idiot….so you keep screwing with your best player, possible franchise player, and the owner is cool with it….i would not be surprised if Porzingis asks to be traded. Knicks might not ever get back to the playoffs in my lifetime…looks like i was born a year too late to see a championship…
Keep screwing with your best player?
By not letting Porzingis be the President or by not letting Melo be the GM?
Or is the problem that Phil dared to speak and have an opinion in the land of wounded egos?
Why are you making things up? Be mature if you are going to try and make a point. And by the way, NO ONE has a bigger ego than Phil Jackson, and his triangle is garbage… 4 reasons the triangle used to work: Jordan, Pippen, Shaq, Kobe…
Making things up?
You mean like you playing the ego police?
Or you thinking anyone thinks you have the cred to even talk about the triangle?
Or your desperate need to credit everyone but the man with more rings than anyone on the planet?
So many failed little boys with big mouths who don’t seem to know how childish they sound insulting people who have actually done something in their lives.
How many rings has he won as president of the Knicks though
I’m sure there were other reasons for letting Longstaff go but it certainly appears as though Phil has no clue what he’s doing…similar BS happened in Chicago and LA (which is why he was only ever coach and not President or GM like many others). He’s not a good front office person.
Phil jackson should not be allowed anywhere near a front office. Only the knicks would let this still go on.
How many have you won?
What’s on your resume that would lead anyone to think that you’re qualified to even mention his name let alone act like you’re an authority worthy of critiquing him?
Even the complaint about how he had Jordan and Kobe ignores reality in terms of his obvious ability to recognize talent and the number of rings won by the players in question when they weren’t being coached by Jackson.
Don’t even get me started on the fact that people like you don’t want the legendary coach who can’t be president to ever talk too or about the players unless he’s telling them how special they are as though you’ve somehow forgotten that he won by talking to and about his players.
How can so many people miss the o so obvious blueprint and cry so consistently that their hero had his flaws addressed? When did New Yorkers become so fragile that any critical word is deemed destructively hurtful?
Have you ever had a boss who was unhappy with your work be as gentle about it as Jackson has been with Melo? You guys are like a bunch of pampered princes who just can’t fathom being questioned in any way. A lot of people get physically beaten at work and I doubt any of you have ever given that a second thought but saying Melo stalls the ball or would be better off on another team gets discussed as though it’s an assault.
This has since spurred trade talk of special K to the Sixers for Saric Lakers18 Kings19 on 975 the Fanatic.
Which i think is an overpay since Phil creates damaged goods by the day. Hes going to all but be backed into a corner to trade Melo and K.