DON’T TRUST THIS MAN
VACCARO: With Jax’s record, hard to believe he’d win Porzingis deal
Phil Jackson is fielding offers for Kristaps Porzingis, the supposed foundation of the Knicks’ rebuilding process. Though he is asking for a king’s ransom in return for the disgruntled big man, The Post’s Mike Vaccaro doubts Jackson will make the right trade.
Phil Jackson hasn’t ruled out trading the one positive of his failed term as Knicks president.
According to a report Tuesday by The Vertical, Jackson is open to dealing Kristaps Porzingis on draft night Thursday. Sources confirmed teams have flooded Jackson with phone calls of potential interest.
Jackson striking a deal, however, is unlikely considering the Knicks’ lofty asking price.
“They’re looking for a home run,” one team executive told The Post.
Multiple reports characterized the asking price as “extremely high” and “super high.”
At a season-ending p re ss conference in mid-April, Jackson said Porzingis was not an “untouchable.’’
The Knicks believe they are doing their due diligence and wouldn’t have received any phone calls from teams if Porzingis hadn’t blown off his exit meeting.
Jackson, holding the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, met Monday with prospect Lauri Markkanen, a source confirmed. Jackson views Markkanen, a sweet-shooting big man out of Arizona, as a potential replacement if the Knicks trade Porzingis.
It’s the lone clue Jackson may still see something possible. Jackson repeatedly had said he is looking to draft guards or wings. Markkanen is expected to go to Tom Thibodeau’s Timberwolves at No. 7. However, the Knicks reportedly have heard from teams ahead of them in the draft, including Phoenix and Boston.
A Phoenix radio report stated the Knicks asked for high-scoring shooting guard Devin Booker and the No. 4 pick for Porzingis — which the Suns won’t do.
The Knicks’ relationship with Porzingis took a turn at the end of the season when the Latvian star bailed out on his exit interview without notifying Jackson or general manager Steve Mills. Porzingis staged the protest over frustration with the Knicks’ lack of direction, according to sources.
Porzingis has still not talked to Knicks coaches or representatives of the front off i ce since the season ended bitterly. A source told The Post thee Knicks are not sending any of their assistant coaches to Latvia to work with Porzingis this offseason. The source said Porzingis has hired two physio- therapists from New Yorkk on his own dime.
According to a source, the Knicks are frustrated Porzingis appears to be aligned witwith Carmelo Anthony, who is anti-Jackson.
Porzingis reacted to the trade speculation Tuesday with a cryptic Instagram picture of himself with a sarcastic grin in which he’s wearing a backwards cap and a T-shirt with the letters “fr’’ posted on the picture. The initials are shorthand for “for real.’’
Janis Porzingis, his older brother and agent, reiterated Tuesday that Porzingis wants to stay in New York and will play out his contract if traded — but added a zinger.
“Despite how the Knicks are treating their players, Kris wants to stay in New York. He loves the city and he loves the fans and he wants to win with this team,” Janis Porzingis told ESPN. “If he’s going to be traded, he’s going to play out his contract and decide his future on his own.” Porzingis, 21, has been billed as the future of the franchise after showing star potential in his first two seasons, all while seemingly unfazed by the spotlight of playing in New York.
Jackson took Porzingis with the fourth pick of the 2015 draft, and he was booed heavily by the New York crowd upset at the Knicks taking a player unknown to them. The 7-foot-3 forward proceeded to average 16. 1 points, 7. 3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks through the first 138 games of his career.
Jackson has made it known his priority this offseason is trading Anthony. Coach Jeff Hornacek said in May at the league’ s draft combine that Porzingis should not “dwell in the past,’’ and added there was “no doubt’’ he wouldn’t be traded.
Jackson, however, admitted he didn’t consider Porzingis an “untouchable.”
“Everything has got to be possible, and we have to make sure that if people have something to say, we listen to it, we examine it,” Jackson said.
“I don’t think Porzingis is going to finish his career with the K nicks, let’ s put it that way,” ESPN analyst Fran Fr as chill at old The Post last week. “In the long-term, he’s eventually going to be on a winning team. Hopefully that will happen for the K nicks before the end of this decade. I don’t know what their plan is, though.”