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Rockets' Prigioni admits to asking for trade from Knicks

Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

There's jumping off the Titanic, and then there's freeing yourself from the New York Knicks.

Pablo Prigioni was fortunate enough to do the latter ahead of February's trade deadline, lucking into a deal that sent him to the Houston Rockets. Not only did it free him from a lost, rebuilding, moribund season in Gotham, it now has him in the Western Conference semifinals.

While he doesn't seem the type to openly gripe, even if he was openly critical of the roster, Prigioni now admits he requested a trade.

"When I saw how things were going, it was so clear they were looking more to next season, the summer," Prigioni said. "I felt myself at 38, I have no future on the team. I talked to Derek (Fisher) and told him my desire to send me somewhere so I can enjoy probably my last year in the league."

It's hard to fault the Argentine, who seems likely to wrap up his three-year NBA career at the end of the season. The Rockets needed point guard help and the Knicks landed a pair of second-round picks and Alexey Shved for Prigioni.

In 24 games with Houston, Prigioni averaged three points and 2.8 assists in 16.8 minutes, though his 3-point shot abandoned him and limited his offensive utility some. In five first-round playoff games, Prigioni averaged 21.4 minutes, scoring 3.4 points with 2.4 assists.

It's worked out well enough for both sides and serves as a reminder that a closed mouth doesn't get fed. Had the Knicks known, Phil Jackson probably would have had a lineup of players making similar requests in February.

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