The New York Knicks might have never drafted Kristaps Porzingis if it weren't for the efforts of his agent, Andy Miller.
Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Miller gave the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers the cold shoulder prior to last summer's draft.
Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie made multiple trips overseas to scout Porzingis throughout the 2014-15 season, but when it came time for pre-draft workouts, Hinkie was kept at a distance.
The Sixers were denied a workout, a sit-down, and even a physical for the 7-foot-3 Latvian sensation. It resulted in a tense moment between Miller and Hinkie during a private workout for Porzingis in front of a host of general managers in Las Vegas.
"You said that I would get a meeting with him here," Hinkie told Miller.
"I said, 'I'd try,' and it's not going to work out, Sam," Miller responded.
Miller couldn't stop the Sixers from drafting Porzingis, though. He wanted to guide his client to New York - Porzingis' dream destination - and by withholding enough information, the Sixers ultimately drafted Jahlil Okafor instead.
It's unclear why Miller played kept the Sixers out of the mix.
The Los Angeles Lakers, owners of the second pick, were granted a workout with Porzingis, so it couldn't have been that Porzingis only wanted to go to New York. Perhaps the dour reputation of Hinkie's aggressive rebuild, or the glut of frontcourt players already in place in Philadelphia, pushed Miller and Porzingis to look beyond the City of Brotherly Love.
Porzingis went on to lead a revival for the Knicks at the Garden whereas the Sixers, despite an improved showing following the arrival of Ish Smith, own the worst record in the league at 7-40.
