Highsnobiety
Double Tap to Zoom

The New York Knicks have been bad for a very, very long time. For a while, though, things were looking up.

The Knicks’ 10-40 record is proof of a stellar tank job, meaning that they are putting themselves in the mix to draft Duke's Zion Williamson in the summer, and until recently the team also had enough cap space to add a max contract-level player in the off-season.

But in less than an hour, the team’s management messed that all up. After a meeting with franchise player Kristaps Porzingis, in which the injured star reportedly shared his frustration with the Knicks' losing culture, the once-great team traded the power forward and a few other role players to the Dallas Mavericks for peanuts.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.

Latvian Porzingis, a highly regarded player often referred to as a “unicorn,” who was named a 2018 All-Star until he ruptured his ACL in February 2018, will team up with 19-year-old Slovenian star Luka Doncic in the Lone Star State. The Knicks, meanwhile, have temporarily improved their team with the additions of DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews, endangering their tank for the top draft pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

Expiring contracts obtained in the trade opens up cap space to sign free agents in the summer, but the trade has left the team in an all too well-known limbo, with no guarantee that top free agents will want to come to NYC.

Predictably, Twitter lost it upon hearing about the trade. Players and fans alike responded online. Scroll through the best of the reactions below.

A minority blamed Porzingis for demanding a trade

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.

Others accused the Knicks of mismanagement

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.

Some, however, held out hope for a better future

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.

NBA players had their say

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.
Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Twitter post.

The general consensus appears to be that the Knicks got fleeced and gave up a franchise player who was supposed to be the cornerstone of championships for years to come. All for a non-guaranteed chance at signing top free agents in the summer.

We Recommend
  • The Best Basketball Shoes of the 2024-25 Season
    • Sneakers
  • Japan's Coolest Megaretailer & New York's Workwear Savants Kick It Old-School
    • Style
  • You've Never Heard of New York's Coolest New Fragrance Store (EXCLUSIVE)
    • Beauty
  • Leave It to AURALEE To Turn New Balance Dad Shoes Into Wearable Art
    • Sneakers
  • The Brand-New Biggest-Ever Louis Vuitton Store Is Also So Much More (EXCLUSIVE)
    • Style
What To Read Next
  • Over 30 Years Later, a Super-Classic Air Max Sneaker Takes Flight Again
    • Sneakers
  • Nike's "Easter" Air Force 1 Sneakers Shouldn't Go This Hard
    • Sneakers
    • sponsored
  • Standom Personified with Rich Fazo & Caitlyn Martinez
    • Culture
    • sponsored
  • In "Ale Brown," Nike's Super Minimal Racing Sneaker Is Quite Lovely
    • Sneakers
  • Why Is Everyone So Upset About Demna Taking Over Gucci?
    • Style
  • A Mercedes Road Trip With Ice Spice, Kidsuper & More
    • Lifestyle