SUMMER JOB
CHICAGO — Lamenting a lost opportunity to hash out the Latvian’s concerns, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek revealed he texted disgruntled forward Kristaps Porzingis recently but hadn’t received a response.
In becoming the first Knicks official to react to Porzingis blowing off his exit meetings after the season, Hornacek said at the NBA Draft Combine he has “no doubt in my mind” Porzingis will be on the roster next season, saying it’s “a long summer” to resolve any issues.
Hornacek also said it’s “a good possibility” he will head overseas to watch the European Championships in August and September, which will give him a chance to meet with Porzingis face-to-face. Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez and Mindaugas Kuzminskas all plan to compete.
“Again, he decided not to come to the meeting,” Hornacek said. “It would’ve been a great opportunity to talk about what he sees, but we figure it’s a long summer. We’ll end up talking to him, and all that stuff coming into next year will be fine.”
The Knicks coach said he believes it is best for Porzingis not to “dwell” on the past. Sources told The Post that Porzingis is unhappy with the chaotic way the Knicks are being run. In the latest hint of dissatisfaction, Janis Porzingis, the player’s brother, said in an ESPN interview: “Kris wants to stay in New York; he feels at home there. There is no question about it. The only thing he wants is for the Knicks to create an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win.”
Janis Porzingis said if his brother ever got traded, he would leave as a free agent, a warning to interested teams he would be a rental.
“We expect him back,” Hornacek said. “I think everything’s going to be just fine when we get back.”
As far as the perception that Kristaps Porzingis felt he didn’t grow as a player, Hornacek said: “He hasn’t told us that. I think he did. I think what everybody has to realize is that when you go from your first year to your second year, you’re not a surprise anymore. If you look at his stats and what he did, they’re about the same per minute.
“Now, is that progress? I think it is because there was a lot more fo- cus on him this year. He wasn’t a surprise to anybody. When he got the ball, they played him a little bit differently, played him a little bit harder. So yeah, I do think he progressed.”
Hornacek said he didn’t see Porzingis’ exit-meeting snub coming and claimed any of his public statements regarding the franchise’s “confusion” have been addressed.
“I think you guys are printing the same article that came out [in March],” Hornacek said. “Every time he says something, it goes back to the same quote. All that stuff has been discussed. All that stuff as the season went on was going to get much better as we went forward. I don’t think too much of it.”
Meanwhile, Hornacek gave no strong indication he is a proponent of trading Carmelo Anthony, as his boss Phil Jackson is. Jackson said last month the Knicks have been unable to win with him.
“I don’t know. He is a great player,” Hornacek said. “He did a lot of good things for us. He won us games. He hit some big shots for us. He was a guy who we could go to. If he’s back, he’s a guy who we can go to again. If he’s not, then that’s when other guys will have to become the guy that we can go to or get us big buckets.”