Kristaps Porzingis Told The Knicks He’d Go Back To Europe If He Wasn’t Traded In Seven Days

It’s been quite a year for Kristaps Porzingis so far. The injured center spent the season recovering from a torn ACL, but was part of a stunning trade that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster deal involving multiple players prior to the February deadline.

Then came a shocking report from the New York Post that the NYPD was investigating him for rape allegations stemming from an incident in early 2018. The details were truly troubling, and it later emerged that the Knicks tried to mediate between him and woman who levied the accusations, and further, that the Mavs were aware of the situation before they traded for him.

To make matters worse, Porzingis was reportedly involved in a brawl outside a Latvian nightclub recently that left him with a bloodied face and raised all sorts of questions about what exactly transpired. This week, the bad press continued as those at the top of the Knicks organization opened up about exactly how his trade demand went down prior to the deadline.

Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry participated in a panel discussion at a Fan Forum Series, during which Mills reveals that Porzingis demanded a trade just before the All-Star break and threatened to return to Europe if they didn’t make a deal happen within seven days.

The 23-year-old’s reputation has taken quite a hit in recent months, although he will try to rectify that next season when he joins Luka Doncic as the Mavs look toward the future with their talented duo.