Knicks · Interesting Wojnarowski on how KP became a Knick (page 1)

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-unlikel...

Three days before the 2015 NBA draft, and Kristaps Porzingis feared everything slipping away. He wanted New York, the Knicks, the Garden. Still, Porzingis needed the Knicks to want him, too. And now, 20 minutes into his private workout for Phil Jackson at the franchise's suburban practice facility, his quad tightened and his movement stopped. Porzingis bent over, dread washing over him.

"There was most definitely a lot of fear," Porzingis told The Vertical. "So, so frustrating. This was where I wanted to be – New York. It was my last workout before the draft, and now, this happens.

"As I walked off the court, I was thinking to myself, 'They're not going to take me. I didn't do anything in the workout. They're not going to take me fourth.' "

All around Porzingis, Knicks officials gathered. Immediately, they agreed to end the workout. No need to risk injury, no need to push further. The Knicks had Porzingis dunking medicine balls and shooting and running the floor. For Jackson, this was only his second time watching Porzingis live.

Across the Knicks' practice gym, Porzingis' agent, Andy Miller, and Kristaps' older brother and co-agent, Janis Porzingis, stood on the sidelines. Miller remained unsure of the franchise's intentions with his client, but had increasingly believed that only the courage to withstand the predictable public outcry of choosing a pasty, 7-foot-3 Latvian teenager in the cynical New York market would stop the Knicks from choosing him.

Hours later, Porzingis sat at dinner with the Knicks elders. Jackson and general manager Steve Mills were probing Porzingis, trying to measure his sense of purpose and maturity to withstand what they believed could be a long learning curve in a most cruel and unforgiving market.

Porzingis was perfect in these settings: engaging, enlightened and nonplussed. They talked and talked about everything but the game, and, finally, Jackson brought it up.

"What do you know about basketball?"

Porzingis hesitated for a moment, stunned, searching for the words. He repeated the question in his mind. What do I know about basketball?

Finally, Porzingis answered: "What do you want me to know about basketball?"

"Do you know defense?" Jackson asked.

"I know defense," Porzingis said.

And so they talked about some principles of defense and some offense, and looking back Porzingis laughs now. "Phil Jackson is always two steps ahead of you," he said.

Porzingis had so much poise, polish. Every moment with the Knicks officials was winning them over.

Across two years, there were a series of choices and decisions from the Porzingis family and Miller that allowed Porzingis to find a destiny with the New York Knicks with the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Without warning, Porzingis is on the cusp of stardom, a transcendent presence making Madison Square Garden alive again.

For the longest time, too, Porzingis' camp had reason to believe he was destined to play for the Orlando Magic. Porzingis entered his name into the 2014 NBA draft with an expectation that he would withdraw prior to the deadline. "Just to get my name out there in the NBA, get some attention," Porzingis said.

He was still so raw and rail thin at 7-foot in the Spanish ACB League. Everyone in the NBA scouted Porzingis closely, but few teams outside of Magic GM Rob Hennigan's front office made Porzingis such a significant priority.

As an organization, the Magic became enamored with the long-term possibilities of Porzingis and became aggressive in persuading him to remain in the 2014 draft. So aggressive, in fact, Miller worked a guarantee out of Hennigan that Orlando would choose Porzingis with the No. 10 pick in 2014. Orlando owned two picks, including No. 4. If Porzingis preferred to play one more year with Sevilla in the Spanish ACB before coming to the NBA, the Magic would support him.
"Rob had a thorough, comprehensive plan," Miller told The Vertical. "He had invested as much, or more time, into Kristaps as anyone in the league. He really studied him. They had a plan for supplemental training, development. It wasn't just, 'Let's just draft him and see what happens.' This was a plan. Kristaps knew the plan and just wasn't ready."

It never did sway Porzingis. He had a vision of his future, a plan of how he imagined it would play out, and that didn't include making the leap to the NBA only because a team had a willingness to choose him in the lottery. Porzingis told his brother Janis and Miller: Next year, I'll be ready. Not yet.

"To me, when I came to the NBA, I wanted to be ready," Porzingis told The Vertical. "How your career starts matters in the NBA, it matters. I needed to play against grown men another year in Spain. The lottery, that didn't matter to me. Being ready, that mattered to me."

Hennigan was heartbroken, but a part of him admired the maturity and staying power of Porzingis' decision. In a lot of ways, it reaffirmed the reasons Hennigan felt his front office had been right about the prospect. The kid had substance, principle.

After Porzingis' pro day workout in Las Vegas this June – a public workout for all 30 NBA teams – Hennigan felt empty walking out of the gymnasium. This time, Orlando had the fifth pick in the 2015 draft. And he believed his chances of getting Porzingis had evaporated. "He won't get past four," Hennigan told friends on his way out of the workout.

Too much had happened in a year, too much had changed. Miller had come to understand it, too. Miller had gone to visit Porzingis and prospect Willy Hernangomez in the Spanish ACB League in February and found himself sitting in a restaurant with his two clients. As the players stood up, Miller became incredulous with the sight and wondered to his European agent partner, Guillermo Bermejo: "How am I going to get Gomez drafted high? He's 6-foot-7!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bermejo replied. "He's 6-10."

Miller responded, "He's five inches shorter than Porzingis. How can he be 6-10?"

Bermejo shook his head.

"Yeah, Porzingis is 7-3 now!"

Porzingis had grown more than two inches, but who was measuring him in the middle of Sevilla's season in the Spanish League?

As the 2015 draft approached, Orlando was no longer the primary target for Porzingis, who had become increasingly determined to play for the Knicks. Porzingis' camp knew that it had a draft night floor of No. 5 with Orlando, but its target became New York. The Lakers worked out Porzingis, worked him so hard that "I was getting dizzy in the workout, so tired that I couldn't speak, or put a sentence together," Porzingis told The Vertical. "There were a few moments where I thought I might collapse, but no moments where I was going to give up."

In the end, the Lakers believed Porzingis was too long term of a project, and chose point guard D'Angelo Russell over Jahlil Okafor.

Whatever happened, Miller didn't make it easy for Philadelphia to draft Porzingis at No. 3. The Sixers wouldn't be afforded Porzingis' physical, nor get a private workout, nor even a face-to-face meeting. After most of the pro day executives cleared out of the gym in Vegas in mid-June, 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie lingered to meet with Miller. Hinkie stopped him in the lobby area and asked Miller about a chance to sit down and visit with Porzingis.

"You said that I would get a meeting with him here," Hinkie told Miller.

"I said, 'I'd try,' and it's not going to work out, Sam," Miller responded.

An awkward silence lingered, the GM and agent, standing and staring. The Porzingis camp wanted no part of the Sixers' situation at No 3. Miller couldn't stop Philadelphia from drafting Porzingis, but he could limit the information they had to make a decision. And did. No physical. No meeting. No workout. The Sixers passed on Porzingis on draft night, clearing the way for the Knicks to select him.

Before Jackson made the final call on Porzingis at No. 4, the Knicks did have one significant pause: Talks about trading the pick for a talented wing player and another first-round pick lingered into the late afternoon, but ultimately died when the Knicks couldn't get Jose Calderon's contract into the deal. Before the pick, Miller warned Porzingis, "Be ready to get booed." The Porzingis family knew it was coming. No one cared when NBA commissioner Adam Silver called his name, and his brother Janis just remembers: "We were hugging and so happy, we didn't even hear any of it."

Kristaps Porzingis stood up and started walking toward the New York lights, toward the noise.

Good article...kind of makes you feel bad for Orlando's Hennigan, who seemed to have been ahead of the crowd in seeing KP's value. He had to have known before the Vegas showing that other teams had looked at him closely...we already know that Gaines and Mills had seen him and that Gaines would have taken him at #1.

Before the draft I had a strong feeling that Orlando would make a deal with Hinkie to take KP at 3. The injury to Joel Embiid had to have influenced the Sixers to take OK4 and not trade out.

What is really great to know is how tuned into KP the Knicks were and we never heard a peep. I guess the NY media was too busy making up articles about things Melo was doing.

I never get tired of reading about KP

Whatever happened, Miller didn't make it easy for Philadelphia to draft Porzingis at No. 3. The Sixers wouldn't be afforded Porzingis' physical, nor get a private workout, nor even a face-to-face meeting. After most of the pro day executives cleared out of the gym in Vegas in mid-June, 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie lingered to meet with Miller. Hinkie stopped him in the lobby area and asked Miller about a chance to sit down and visit with Porzingis.

"You said that I would get a meeting with him here," Hinkie told Miller.

"I said, 'I'd try,' and it's not going to work out, Sam," Miller responded.

An awkward silence lingered, the GM and agent, standing and staring. The Porzingis camp wanted no part of the Sixers' situation at No 3. Miller couldn't stop Philadelphia from drafting Porzingis, but he could limit the information they had to make a decision. And did. No physical. No meeting. No workout. The Sixers passed on Porzingis on draft night, clearing the way for the Knicks to select him.

I made comments about players not wanting to go to Philly because of what Hinkie was doing there-I had read a number of accounts of this,...but this article is the most direct evidence I've seen, and gives you an idea about how all this stuff works.

Curry had done the same thing with GS, because he and his dad wanted him to be with MDA and the Knicks...but GS clearly did not care at that point and made the right decision.

fishmike wrote:why wouldnt they give Sam Hinkie any love? He's a basketball genius!

What is really great to know is how tuned into KP the Knicks were and we never heard a peep. I guess the NY media was too busy making up articles about things Melo was doing.

I never get tired of reading about KP

Jackson was in some kind of Zen ninja stealth mode...best example being the secret Russell workout.

smackeddog wrote:Also interesting is that he says we almost traded our pick for a SG and another pick- any guesses?

Three days before the 2015 NBA draft, and Kristaps Porzingis feared everything slipping away. He wanted New York, the Knicks, the Garden. Still, Porzingis needed the Knicks to want him, too. And now, 20 minutes into his private workout for Phil Jackson at the franchise's suburban practice facility, his quad tightened and his movement stopped. Porzingis bent over, dread washing over him.

"There was most definitely a lot of fear," Porzingis told The Vertical. "So, so frustrating. This was where I wanted to be – New York. It was my last workout before the draft, and now, this happens.

"As I walked off the court, I was thinking to myself, 'They're not going to take me. I didn't do anything in the workout. They're not going to take me fourth.' "

All around Porzingis, Knicks officials gathered. Immediately, they agreed to end the workout. No need to risk injury, no need to push further. The Knicks had Porzingis dunking medicine balls and shooting and running the floor. For Jackson, this was only his second time watching Porzingis live.

Across the Knicks' practice gym, Porzingis' agent, Andy Miller, and Kristaps' older brother and co-agent, Janis Porzingis, stood on the sidelines. Miller remained unsure of the franchise's intentions with his client, but had increasingly believed that only the courage to withstand the predictable public outcry of choosing a pasty, 7-foot-3 Latvian teenager in the cynical New York market would stop the Knicks from choosing him.

Hours later, Porzingis sat at dinner with the Knicks elders. Jackson and general manager Steve Mills were probing Porzingis, trying to measure his sense of purpose and maturity to withstand what they believed could be a long learning curve in a most cruel and unforgiving market.

Porzingis was perfect in these settings: engaging, enlightened and nonplussed. They talked and talked about everything but the game, and, finally, Jackson brought it up.

"What do you know about basketball?"

Porzingis hesitated for a moment, stunned, searching for the words. He repeated the question in his mind. What do I know about basketball?

Finally, Porzingis answered: "What do you want me to know about basketball?"

"Do you know defense?" Jackson asked.

"I know defense," Porzingis said.

And so they talked about some principles of defense and some offense, and looking back Porzingis laughs now. "Phil Jackson is always two steps ahead of you," he said.

Porzingis had so much poise, polish. Every moment with the Knicks officials was winning them over.

Across two years, there were a series of choices and decisions from the Porzingis family and Miller that allowed Porzingis to find a destiny with the New York Knicks with the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Without warning, Porzingis is on the cusp of stardom, a transcendent presence making Madison Square Garden alive again.

For the longest time, too, Porzingis' camp had reason to believe he was destined to play for the Orlando Magic. Porzingis entered his name into the 2014 NBA draft with an expectation that he would withdraw prior to the deadline. "Just to get my name out there in the NBA, get some attention," Porzingis said.

He was still so raw and rail thin at 7-foot in the Spanish ACB League. Everyone in the NBA scouted Porzingis closely, but few teams outside of Magic GM Rob Hennigan's front office made Porzingis such a significant priority.

As an organization, the Magic became enamored with the long-term possibilities of Porzingis and became aggressive in persuading him to remain in the 2014 draft. So aggressive, in fact, Miller worked a guarantee out of Hennigan that Orlando would choose Porzingis with the No. 10 pick in 2014. Orlando owned two picks, including No. 4. If Porzingis preferred to play one more year with Sevilla in the Spanish ACB before coming to the NBA, the Magic would support him.
"Rob had a thorough, comprehensive plan," Miller told The Vertical. "He had invested as much, or more time, into Kristaps as anyone in the league. He really studied him. They had a plan for supplemental training, development. It wasn't just, 'Let's just draft him and see what happens.' This was a plan. Kristaps knew the plan and just wasn't ready."

It never did sway Porzingis. He had a vision of his future, a plan of how he imagined it would play out, and that didn't include making the leap to the NBA only because a team had a willingness to choose him in the lottery. Porzingis told his brother Janis and Miller: Next year, I'll be ready. Not yet.

"To me, when I came to the NBA, I wanted to be ready," Porzingis told The Vertical. "How your career starts matters in the NBA, it matters. I needed to play against grown men another year in Spain. The lottery, that didn't matter to me. Being ready, that mattered to me."

Hennigan was heartbroken, but a part of him admired the maturity and staying power of Porzingis' decision. In a lot of ways, it reaffirmed the reasons Hennigan felt his front office had been right about the prospect. The kid had substance, principle.

After Porzingis' pro day workout in Las Vegas this June – a public workout for all 30 NBA teams – Hennigan felt empty walking out of the gymnasium. This time, Orlando had the fifth pick in the 2015 draft. And he believed his chances of getting Porzingis had evaporated. "He won't get past four," Hennigan told friends on his way out of the workout.

Too much had happened in a year, too much had changed. Miller had come to understand it, too. Miller had gone to visit Porzingis and prospect Willy Hernangomez in the Spanish ACB League in February and found himself sitting in a restaurant with his two clients. As the players stood up, Miller became incredulous with the sight and wondered to his European agent partner, Guillermo Bermejo: "How am I going to get Gomez drafted high? He's 6-foot-7!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bermejo replied. "He's 6-10."

Miller responded, "He's five inches shorter than Porzingis. How can he be 6-10?"

Bermejo shook his head.

"Yeah, Porzingis is 7-3 now!"

Porzingis had grown more than two inches, but who was measuring him in the middle of Sevilla's season in the Spanish League?

As the 2015 draft approached, Orlando was no longer the primary target for Porzingis, who had become increasingly determined to play for the Knicks. Porzingis' camp knew that it had a draft night floor of No. 5 with Orlando, but its target became New York. The Lakers worked out Porzingis, worked him so hard that "I was getting dizzy in the workout, so tired that I couldn't speak, or put a sentence together," Porzingis told The Vertical. "There were a few moments where I thought I might collapse, but no moments where I was going to give up."

In the end, the Lakers believed Porzingis was too long term of a project, and chose point guard D'Angelo Russell over Jahlil Okafor.

Whatever happened, Miller didn't make it easy for Philadelphia to draft Porzingis at No. 3. The Sixers wouldn't be afforded Porzingis' physical, nor get a private workout, nor even a face-to-face meeting. After most of the pro day executives cleared out of the gym in Vegas in mid-June, 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie lingered to meet with Miller. Hinkie stopped him in the lobby area and asked Miller about a chance to sit down and visit with Porzingis.

"You said that I would get a meeting with him here," Hinkie told Miller.

"I said, 'I'd try,' and it's not going to work out, Sam," Miller responded.

An awkward silence lingered, the GM and agent, standing and staring. The Porzingis camp wanted no part of the Sixers' situation at No 3. Miller couldn't stop Philadelphia from drafting Porzingis, but he could limit the information they had to make a decision. And did. No physical. No meeting. No workout. The Sixers passed on Porzingis on draft night, clearing the way for the Knicks to select him.

Before Jackson made the final call on Porzingis at No. 4, the Knicks did have one significant pause: Talks about trading the pick for a talented wing player and another first-round pick lingered into the late afternoon, but ultimately died when the Knicks couldn't get Jose Calderon's contract into the deal. Before the pick, Miller warned Porzingis, "Be ready to get booed." The Porzingis family knew it was coming. No one cared when NBA commissioner Adam Silver called his name, and his brother Janis just remembers: "We were hugging and so happy, we didn't even hear any of it."

Kristaps Porzingis stood up and started walking toward the New York lights, toward the noise.

Thanks for this it was a good read.

WaltLongmire wrote:The hate directed at Hinkie and the Sixer by the Porzingis camp was pretty raw.

Whatever happened, Miller didn't make it easy for Philadelphia to draft Porzingis at No. 3. The Sixers wouldn't be afforded Porzingis' physical, nor get a private workout, nor even a face-to-face meeting. After most of the pro day executives cleared out of the gym in Vegas in mid-June, 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie lingered to meet with Miller. Hinkie stopped him in the lobby area and asked Miller about a chance to sit down and visit with Porzingis.

"You said that I would get a meeting with him here," Hinkie told Miller.

"I said, 'I'd try,' and it's not going to work out, Sam," Miller responded.

An awkward silence lingered, the GM and agent, standing and staring. The Porzingis camp wanted no part of the Sixers' situation at No 3. Miller couldn't stop Philadelphia from drafting Porzingis, but he could limit the information they had to make a decision. And did. No physical. No meeting. No workout. The Sixers passed on Porzingis on draft night, clearing the way for the Knicks to select him.

I made comments about players not wanting to go to Philly because of what Hinkie was doing there-I had read a number of accounts of this,...but this article is the most direct evidence I've seen, and gives you an idea about how all this stuff works.

Curry had done the same thing with GS, because he and his dad wanted him to be with MDA and the Knicks...but GS clearly did not care at that point and made the right decision.

Walt I was wondering what trade may have been out there and your thought on that Magic trade is great. Good job... no clue if its true but that makes a lot of sense. We could have been looking at Oladipo and WCS. Yikes when you think about how good KP is!

WaltLongmire wrote:If you accept Orlando's love for KP, you wonder if they were willing to give us Oladipo and their #5.

Good article...kind of makes you feel bad for Orlando's Hennigan, who seemed to have been ahead of the crowd in seeing KP's value. He had to have known before the Vegas showing that other teams had looked at him closely...we already know that Gaines and Mills had seen him and that Gaines would have taken him at #1.

Before the draft I had a strong feeling that Orlando would make a deal with Hinkie to take KP at 3. The injury to Joel Embiid had to have influenced the Sixers to take OK4 and not trade out.

I don't feel even a tiny bit bad for Hennigan. Remember what happened to us in Steph Curry's draft class? We missed our shot at the most transcendent player since Jordan.

No, I feel just fine, thank you very much.

fishmike wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:The hate directed at Hinkie and the Sixer by the Porzingis camp was pretty raw.

Whatever happened, Miller didn't make it easy for Philadelphia to draft Porzingis at No. 3. The Sixers wouldn't be afforded Porzingis' physical, nor get a private workout, nor even a face-to-face meeting. After most of the pro day executives cleared out of the gym in Vegas in mid-June, 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie lingered to meet with Miller. Hinkie stopped him in the lobby area and asked Miller about a chance to sit down and visit with Porzingis.

"You said that I would get a meeting with him here," Hinkie told Miller.

"I said, 'I'd try,' and it's not going to work out, Sam," Miller responded.

An awkward silence lingered, the GM and agent, standing and staring. The Porzingis camp wanted no part of the Sixers' situation at No 3. Miller couldn't stop Philadelphia from drafting Porzingis, but he could limit the information they had to make a decision. And did. No physical. No meeting. No workout. The Sixers passed on Porzingis on draft night, clearing the way for the Knicks to select him.

I made comments about players not wanting to go to Philly because of what Hinkie was doing there-I had read a number of accounts of this,...but this article is the most direct evidence I've seen, and gives you an idea about how all this stuff works.

Curry had done the same thing with GS, because he and his dad wanted him to be with MDA and the Knicks...but GS clearly did not care at that point and made the right decision.

yea... this would have been good to inject into that uberlong Hinkie thread about the quality of his plan. The fact is reality or otherwise nobody wants to go there, and how that franchise is being run cost them a workout with KP and in turn may have changed the direction of that franchise. Opportunity cost.

Walt I was wondering what trade may have been out there and your thought on that Magic trade is great. Good job... no clue if its true but that makes a lot of sense. We could have been looking at Oladipo and WCS. Yikes when you think about how good KP is!

Thats exactly right. Hinkie had a plan on paper that did not take in account that this isn't fantasy or 2k, he actually has to deal with real players and agents, who are people. And because of this, it costed him a workout and interview with the type of player he did this process for to begin with. The irony.

WaltLongmire wrote:If you accept Orlando's love for KP, you wonder if they were willing to give us Oladipo and their #5.

Good article...kind of makes you feel bad for Orlando's Hennigan, who seemed to have been ahead of the crowd in seeing KP's value. He had to have known before the Vegas showing that other teams had looked at him closely...we already know that Gaines and Mills had seen him and that Gaines would have taken him at #1.

Before the draft I had a strong feeling that Orlando would make a deal with Hinkie to take KP at 3. The injury to Joel Embiid had to have influenced the Sixers to take OK4 and not trade out.

If you ask me on draft night, there's no way I decline that offer.

Glad I'm not in charge - it's nice to finally have things break our way.

MaTT4281 wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:If you accept Orlando's love for KP, you wonder if they were willing to give us Oladipo and their #5.

Good article...kind of makes you feel bad for Orlando's Hennigan, who seemed to have been ahead of the crowd in seeing KP's value. He had to have known before the Vegas showing that other teams had looked at him closely...we already know that Gaines and Mills had seen him and that Gaines would have taken him at #1.

Before the draft I had a strong feeling that Orlando would make a deal with Hinkie to take KP at 3. The injury to Joel Embiid had to have influenced the Sixers to take OK4 and not trade out.

If you ask me on draft night, there's no way I decline that offer.

Glad I'm not in charge - it's nice to finally have things break our way.

Phil had to show interest in D'angelo as he might have been there at 4 if the lakers took KP.
Its just half of a season so we don't know the future of any of them.
Russell is in a hell of a situation in LA this season with Kobe, Byron scott and Randle. Likley they get a top 3 pick this year and hire a developmental coach. No sense in doing anything while Kobe is around and they are in Tank mode.
Towns is and was the solid pick with little risk.
Phill got Hoodwinked and Bamboozled by not doing its homework but really Okafor was seen as the top overall player by some for much of last year and really they should not feel bad. He is putting up good numbers. Concern is his foot speed and he is immature off the court. Both are fixable.

Im happy as hell with KP, so its all good!!! Bottom line was he was there and Phil was prepared to strike at the opportunity!!!!

Moonangie wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:If you accept Orlando's love for KP, you wonder if they were willing to give us Oladipo and their #5.

Good article...kind of makes you feel bad for Orlando's Hennigan, who seemed to have been ahead of the crowd in seeing KP's value. He had to have known before the Vegas showing that other teams had looked at him closely...we already know that Gaines and Mills had seen him and that Gaines would have taken him at #1.

Before the draft I had a strong feeling that Orlando would make a deal with Hinkie to take KP at 3. The injury to Joel Embiid had to have influenced the Sixers to take OK4 and not trade out.

I don't feel even a tiny bit bad for Hennigan. Remember what happened to us in Steph Curry's draft class? We missed our shot at the most transcendent player since Jordan.

No, I feel just fine, thank you very much.

Kind of like spending a lot of time, research, and hope on an ebay auction, only to get beaten in the last second.

Was heartbroken when we missed out on Curry and feel bad about what Hennigan might have felt when he lost KP by 1 slot, although I'm also happy that we ended up with KP and glad Orlando didn't get him. I'm still human enough to feel bad for a GM who was portrayed in a positive light in the article.

WaltLongmire wrote:

Moonangie wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:If you accept Orlando's love for KP, you wonder if they were willing to give us Oladipo and their #5.

Good article...kind of makes you feel bad for Orlando's Hennigan, who seemed to have been ahead of the crowd in seeing KP's value. He had to have known before the Vegas showing that other teams had looked at him closely...we already know that Gaines and Mills had seen him and that Gaines would have taken him at #1.

Before the draft I had a strong feeling that Orlando would make a deal with Hinkie to take KP at 3. The injury to Joel Embiid had to have influenced the Sixers to take OK4 and not trade out.

I don't feel even a tiny bit bad for Hennigan. Remember what happened to us in Steph Curry's draft class? We missed our shot at the most transcendent player since Jordan.

No, I feel just fine, thank you very much.

I know its dog eat dog, but...

Kind of like spending a lot of time, research, and hope on an ebay auction, only to get beaten in the last second.

Was heartbroken when we missed out on Curry and feel bad about what Hennigan might have felt when he lost KP by 1 slot, although I'm also happy that we ended up with KP and glad Orlando didn't get him. I'm still human enough to feel bad for a GM who was portrayed in a positive light in the article.

Not that it really helps Hennigan in any way, but it makes him come across as a very good GM. He was on top of this from the start. NBA success is a very high percent of luck. Probably more about luck and opportunity than anything else. For Hennigan, this is a confirmation that he had a plan that would have worked if not for varying factors. As for Hinkie, another hit taken by exposing another flaw in his plan.

yellowboy90 wrote:Well that last part about Calderon has me thinking he will be gone in the summer. The Knicks will probably pay a team $3m to make it an easy trade. Although, Jose good offensive play could mean the Knicks could deal him without the cash.

Tough to say. During the game tonight Breen talked about Derzan's parse for Jose and ten went on to mention several young knick players that praise Calderon. Calderon is a leader, a high character guy, and reasonably efficient on offense. The Knicks were pretty irresponsible trying to create cap space under Walsh. A good trade to move Jose makes sense. Not sure if tat deal is out there.

reub wrote:I wonder if these Euro agents can help us sign a few more nuggets in the future. Wouldn't that be nice?

KP and Hernangomez have the same agent. He wanted ny for KP and shut Hinkie out so that bodes well for the Knicks.

Thank the friggin' lord we didn't pull the trigger on that or any deal. Imagine how heartbroken we'd all be seeing KP explode on any other team. Another one that got away (Curry).