KP had the power here. Just because he was heading into RFA didn't make him ma shoe-in to stay here. His agent said as much.
"The most important question here is this: What do you really want to achieve in your career?" Janis Porzingis said in an interview in Latvian with Sportacentrs, according to a translation by Eurohoops.net. "Because money - if Kristaps performs at least on his normal level, is gonna come. We are more focused on some other values and not just to quickly sign a new contract so we can collect the money. That's definitely not our goal, so we won't be feverishly counting minutes or counting points. You can't escape the reality and the Knicks must also see that.
He had threatened to play his fifth season under the 7.5 mil qualifying offer in order to become a UFA.
Had that come to pass we would not have received good offers knowing that any team that wanted him would just have to wait.
He left because he didn't like the direction of the team.
He doesn't understand what a rebuild looks like.
Hey Dum-Dum (not you Miras... KP)
Hey Dum-Dum ... we took this direction when your ass got hurt.
He aint a dummy... he knows this "direction of the team" thing is a smokescreen.
"We are more focused on other values"
In other words.... he wants to play with Luka, pay no state tax, and avoid 8 degree weather.
Rather than be 2nd fiddle to KD in NY or perhaps fearing being 1st fiddle in NY with no help a la Patrick Ewing.
Mazel tov!