Exactly how many times are you going to willfully invoke your smug, simplistic assertion that THE KNICKS WERE SNOOKERED AND GOT NO RETURN FOR KRISTAPS PORZINGIS?
When in point of fact, our 2021 return to the playoffs and the depth and breadth of our current roster is predicated on the assets and cap space we salted away from that trade and deployed on short term/make good/team option Free agent deals that have been rolled over not just once, not just twice, but THREE TIMES going into 2021-2022.
Dennis Smith + #42 pick [from Charlotte, Hernan-Gomez Trade] > Derrick Rose
2021 Dallas #1 Pick [#21] > Keon Johnson [to Clippers] for #25 pick [Quentin Grimes + Future #2 pick]
DeAndre Jordan, Wes Matthews > Significant Cap Space
Timmy Hardaway, Trey Burks, Courtney Lee > Significant Cap Space
Cap Space #1 [Mills Strikes Out On Durant/Irving] > Julius Randle, Marcus Morris, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, Reggie Bullock, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington
Marcus Morris > Moe Harkless, 2020 Clippers #1 Pick [Immanuel Quickley], 2021 Clippers/Pistons #32 Pick [Blake Griffin Trade] > OKC #34/#36 Picks [Rokas Jokeubaitis, Miles McBride]
Cap Space #2 [Enter Leon Rose] > Nerlens Noel, Alex Burks, Elfrid Payton, Austin Rivers, Taj Gibson.
Austin Rivers + Ignas Brazdeikis > Terrence Ferguson + Vincent Poirier + Sixers 2nd Round Pick/#58 [Jericho Sims]
Cap Space #3A > Julius Randle [Long Term Re-Up], Derrick Rose [2 + 3/Team Option], Nerlens Noel [2 + 3/Team Option], Alex Burks [2 + 3/Team Option], Kemba Walker [2]
Cap Space #3B > Reggie Bullock > Evan Fournier [3 +4/Team Option].
So let's see.
Kristaps Porzingis, Timmy Hardaway, Courtney Lee, Trey Burks > Julius Randle, Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Kemba Walker, Taj Gibson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Rokas Jokubiaitis, Miles McBride, Jericho Sims, Charlotte 2022 #1 Pick [Top 18 Protected], Dallas 2023 #1 Pick [Top 10 Protected], Sundry #2 Picks.
I count 4 players out, and NINE KEEPERS on our current roster [and Rokas on ice in Spain], other transactions notwithstanding, for at least the next two seasons, plus a host of #2 picks on down the line, and potentially [Charlotte willing] TWO #1 picks in 2021-2022, and potentially TWO #1 picks in 2022-2023.
A host of short term reasonable--Eminently FLIPPABLE--contracts plus four #1 picks and sundry #2 picks over the next two seasons, should, RealGM willing, that elusive SuperDuperStar wet dream of our most fervent desire, such as, oh, I don't know, ZION WILLIAMSON, run a Ben Simmons Game on New Orleans, and want out of that directionless scrum [how exactly did they let Lonzo walk...am sure that impressed Zion].
In lieu of wondering when Kristaps is going to heal and mature and reach his full potential [IF EVER].
Scott Perry being the common link between the Steve Mills & Leon Rose Epochs.
Scott managed to turn Phil Jackson's petty, mean-spirited, vindictive evisceration of his own No-Trade Clause Carmelo contract into OKC's Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and their #36 pick from Chicago [MITCHELL ROBINSON]. McDermott for Emmanuel Mudiay was a strange side step, as it complicated attempts to develop Frank Ntilikina, and McDermott while not a classic 3&D in the BoD sense, could sure fucking shoot from three, and has evolved a better all around game, while Fizdale's Player Development Scrum [with the exception of rookies Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox, who was ass fucked in favor of Marcus Morris the very next season] resulted in Emmanuel Mudiay, Noah Vonleh, Kyle O'Quinn, Mario Herzonja and Luke Kornet ALL BEING ALLOWED TO FUCKING WALK, not bidding against ourselves come summer and simply waiving Kanter [whom I really liked, and who was not the reason we sucked, and whom Fizz publically dissed in favor of tadpole Robinson], and leave us not forget Fizz's pet Alonzo Trier, who subsequently played himself out of the league [one of Leon Rose's first moves was to dump him].
So, Mills/Perry PLAN A, a Dud.
On to Plan B, which was predicated on Durant/Irving, but when that fell through, Plan C, with all of those 1+ 1 contracts, then firing Fizdale a few weeks in, hiring interim coach Mike Miller.
Then on to Plan D, which included flipping Steve Mills for Leon Rose and flipping Mike Miller for Tom Thibodeau, and retaining Scott Perry, and whom ultimately translated all of those NON-ASSETS BoD asserts we didn't get from the Porizingis Deal into a Playoff Berth and our 2021-2022/2022-2023 Knicks moving forward, with a mix of vets, young vets, and yute, in lieu of a talented but self-entitled 7'3" brat with surgically repaired limbs who didn't want to be a Knick.
In short, our current status as a playoff contender, coming off of a 41-31 2020/2021 season with a refurbished competitive culture and a far more talented roster than the 2018-2019/17-65 Fizdale Knicks or the 29-53/2017-2018 Porzingis/Hornacek Knicks.
So Bo, we got snookered in the Porzingis Trade? Play that song in B Flat. A deep talented roster, a host of talented puppies, a beaucoup of draft assets, a winning record and playoff contention heading into 2021-2022 would seem to contradict your ohSoBO[old] assertion.
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