While Knicks fans have devoted all of their recent attention towards the NBA Draft Lottery and the upcoming free agency, it was not too long ago that Kristaps Porzingis was seen as the future of the franchise.
Porzingis sat out the entire 2018-19 season due to his rehab from a torn ACL suffered the previous year. While rehabbing the serious injury, the Latvian made it clear to New York's front office that he had no desire to continue his career with the franchise.
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In what was at the time a somewhat surprising move, New York traded Porzingis to Dallas at the end of January in a deal that saw the Knicks acquire Dennis Smith Jr. and two first round draft picks.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban joined "Mike's On" Thursday to discuss several topics, including how excited he is about the addition of the 7-foot-3 Porzingis to the Mavericks.
"New Yorkers got to see him play as much as anybody, and you know he's called 'the unicorn' for a reason," Cuban said to Mike Francesa. "He's just got a unique skill set. He likes to say he's always open because there's nobody else that size that can move like him and shoot from anywhere on the court. So he is always open.
"As far as his health, I think if we were in the playoff hunt and it was five games left to move up in the standings, I think he might have come around to play. But given we weren't, we stuck to the original plan. But bottom line is, he's working hard, he's a great kid and he'll be ready for the season, for sure."