Before getting fired, Jeff Hornacek gave a clue on how the Knicks might handle locking up Kristaps Porzingis long term when he raved about the franchise’s bright future.
Hornacek said the benefit of 2019 free agency, when the Knicks have cap space, is they still can re-sign Porzingis and creatively go over the salary cap, according to NBA rules. That sounded as if offering Porzingis a contract extension this summer, in the wake of his ACL tear, is a low priority. Getting an extension done would take away from their 2019 cap space.
Team president Steve Mills was unusually tight-lipped on the issue.