SACRAMENTO -- Nothing like a little trade post-mortem to liven up the afternoon.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Tuesday that the New York Knicks called the Sacramento Kings before deciding on a deal to send Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks last week.
“They tried for untouchables such as Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and, predictably, were rebuffed,” Stein wrote.
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It makes sense that the Knicks would call Sacramento. General manager Scott Perry was a member of the Kings’ front office when the team selected Fox with the fifth overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft.
It also makes a lot of sense for the Kings to politely decline. Porzingis is an immense talent, but he’s coming off a knee injury, and there are no promises that he is anything other than a one-year rental.
In Fox, the Kings have a bonafide leader around whom they have built their team. He has All-Star potential, and at 21 years old, his best basketball probably is three to four years away. In addition, the team is playing well, and Fox is completely committed to Sacramento.
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The 7-footer eventually was traded to Dallas with Courtney Lee, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke for a package that included Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wes Matthews and two first-round draft picks.
Would Porzingis have looked nice in a Kings uniform as another building block for the franchise? Sure, but Fox is about as close to as untouchable as you can find.