Hug Your Knicks Friend: Phil Jackson Is Serious About Trading Porzingis

Phil Jackson is actually going to do this, isn’t he?

On Wednesday night, Jackson gave MSG Network an exclusive interview. Given recent reports of Kristaps Porzingis being the focus of trade talks, Jackson could have used the opportunity to spout clichés about how the franchise is hopeful about next season and about Porzingis’s status as Knick.

Instead, he used the platform to continue his subversive attempts to oust Knicks players that he doesn’t like.

Jackson said this minutes after The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, on his own live show, reported that it has not been other teams inquiring about KP, but rather the Knicks themselves shopping him for a top-four draft pick and another asset. Phil confirmed that they were taking calls.

He was bothered by Porzingis blowing off the now-infamous exit meeting at the end of the regular season, and that he had never had a player do that to him.

Phil Jackson belongs in the pantheon of most prominent people in the history of this league, but he is about to trade away this franchise’s only glimmer of hope, Jason Concepcion’s large adult son, and the only valuable asset it has, all because Porzingis decided he didn’t want to partake in a meaningless meeting after a horrible season. I’m going to sleep tonight thanking God that I’m not a Knicks fan.

Oh, and Phil made sure not to make a media appearance without taking another shot at Carmelo, too.

The draft is Thursday, a pseudo-deadline for any outstanding trade moves, and Phil apparently loves Josh Jackson. At this point, we can’t rule out that he is willing to dispose of the franchise gem for a guy who shares his last name.

I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel I have the authority to tell the best head coach in NBA history that no, he doesn’t know what he’s doing.