What are the chances of the Knicks reuniting with Kristaps Porzingis?

Anything goes during the offseason. It doesn’t matter if a New York Knicks-Kristaps Porzingis reunion has a small chance of actually happening, it’s going to be talked about.

The Knicks’ No. 4 draft pick in 2015 has a $36 million player option for 2023-24 that he’s expected to decline. In late March, The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required) reported that Porzingis and the Wizards were in “active talks” on a contract extension. It’s believed that if he does opt out of his option, he’ll sign a long-term contract with the Wizards after spending the past 1.5 seasons in D.C.

Still, that hasn’t stopped the talk about Porzingis ending back up in New York where it all began for him. He left the Knicks on bad terms in 2019 but in an interview for NBA.com earlier this year, Porzingis opened up about his departure and said that the way he handled it was wrong.

With the 27-year-old on the brink of becoming a free agent, he’s been connected to the Knicks.

Should the New York Knicks pursue Kristaps Porzingis this offseason?

As SNY’s Ian Begley noted, if Kristaps Porzingis does intend to join a new team, the Knicks wouldn’t have enough cap space to sign him outright, so a sign-and-trade would be the route that the team would have to take. Of course, New York could clear cap space by making a series of trades involving players such as Evan Fournier, who is expected to be on a new team in 2023-24.

The biggest question is whether or not getting Porzingis would be worth it. He’s coming off his best season in the league where he averaged a career-high 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 65 games, the most that he’s played since his second season in New York. Porzingis was a bright spot for an otherwise poor Wizards team.

After putting together a season like that, Washington will likely give him a long-term contract. Porzingis has made it clear that he enjoys being in D.C., and with no disrespect to the city, the Wizards aren’t exactly a team that attracts good players.

The Knicks would be taking a risk by completing a sign-and-trade for Porzingis. Mitchell Robinson, who has also dealt with his fair share of injuries, would most likely end up in Washington.

New York’s current starting center is coming off a solid season himself where he averaged a career-high 9.4 rebounds and was key in the Knicks’ first-round series win over the Cavaliers, but he’s limited offensively. While Robinson isn’t a three-point shooter, Porzingis shot 38.5% from deep on an average of 5.5 attempts per game this past season.

But no, that doesn’t mean that New York should seriously consider reuniting with its former lottery pick. The last thing that the Knicks should want is to get burned by Porzingis twice. That’s a door that shouldn’t be re-opened, and it’ll likely stay shut.

If you’re part of the small percentage of the fanbase that would like to see Kristaps Porzinigs back in a Knicks jersey, your best bet is taking the Amtrak from New York to D.C. to watch him play at Capital One Arena next season instead if he does stay with the Wizards.