Knicks president Phil Jackson met recently with Kristaps Porzingis' brother to discuss some of the issues that prompted the Latvian star to skip out on his exit meeting, the Daily News has learned.However, the lengthy sit-down in New York accomplished very little to bridge the chasm as Jackson remained steadfast in his ways and direction, according to a team source.
Kristaps was overseas while Janis Porzingis - who is also Kristaps' agent - represented his younger brother. It's unclear what they specifically discussed but Kristaps' discontent with the organization's dysfunction turned public after the 21-year-old passed on attending his exit meeting last month.
Both Jackson and Janis spoke around these issues to the media prior to their meeting, with the latter telling ESPN that Kristaps wants to remain in New York but also desires "for the Knicks to create an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win."
Kristaps Porzingis' independence putting pressure on Knicks
Phil Jackson doesn't seem to want to budge when it comes to his vision of the team.
Phil Jackson doesn't seem to want to budge when it comes to his vision of the team. (JULIE JACOBSON/AP)
Jackson referred to a statement from coach Jeff Hornacek, who said Porzingis progressed last season and, "(You) can't do anything about the past. That’s the big thing. Whatever happened and went on, you can’t dwell on it.”
Apparently Porzingis can't do much about the future, either, with Jackson unrelenting in his philosophies while aiming to increase his influence over the coaching staff. According to sources, one of Jackson's objectives is to tailor the workouts and training sessions around learning the triangle offense.
"I think I've got to do a little bit more on-scene, on-target mentoring," Jackson said last month.
Although statistically very impressive, Porzingis' production per minute last season was roughly the same as his rookie campaign. For the first two months, Porzingis played like an All-Star and the Knicks were headed toward the playoffs. But then he strained his Achilles and the season spiraled downward amid confusion about the offense, the defense, Carmelo Anthony's future, Joakim Noah's availability and Derrick Rose's whereabouts.
The trade for Rose last summer was clearly a negative for Porzingis. He had paired well in the front court with Robin Lopez (dealt away in the trade), and saw less of the ball with Rose on the floor.
Porzingis sat out the final five games of the season with a sore back, skipped his exit meeting with Jackson and then flew to Latvia to announce that he'll be competing in the European championships this summer.
As recently as last week, Hornacek said he reached out to Porzingis via text message but indicated there was no response.
WITH FRANK ISOLA
5/20/2017 10:47 PM