Porzingis calls New York 'home,' wants Melo to stay

Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony were both on the trading block not too long ago, but now only the latter's departure seems likely.

If it were up to Porzingis, though, Anthony would stick with him on the New York Knicks. The two are close as a result of Anthony taking the 7-foot Latvian under his wing after New York drafted him fourth overall in 2015.

"He's an All-Star, an incredible player, and I've learned so much from him," Porzingis told NBA.com's Shaun Powell during the league's tour of Johannesburg.

"There's still so much for me to learn from him. I would love to have him around and keep playing alongside him. But it is what it is. It's a business. If it ends, well ... I don't know, it's out of my hands. I'm really thankful for these couple of years I've been with him, just seeing how he works during the summer. It proves he wants to win and he wants to be great. I'm sure he'll make the right decision for himself."

There was no shortage of extracurriculars in Gotham last season, whether it was the public feud between Anthony and team president Phil Jackson, Derrick Rose going MIA, or Charles Oakley's removal from MSG and subsequent arrest. Between that and the losing - the Knicks missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row - few could blame Porzingis for skipping his team exit meeting.

But that drew the ire of Jackson, who then considered trading Porzingis, but ultimately parted ways with the organization himself. Even with the Zen Master gone, Anthony reportedly wants out. His contract has one guaranteed year remaining and a no-trade clause he'd reportedly waive to join the Houston Rockets.

Porzingis, meanwhile, appears intent on staying put in New York despite the rough start to his pro career.

"So far it's been tough in New York, but my journey is only beginning and I hope to stay there my whole career, so as a city we can have some fun and win some games and do something big," Porzingis said.

"For me, it's now home."

The 22-year-old indicated a few months ago that he wants to stay with the Knicks as long as they can build a contender. He told Powell he's still hopeful about that.

"I can envision (a championship someday) and see it," he said. "But we're still a long way from there. As we get better, if we can all see that goal at the end and work towards it, anything can happen."

Porzingis put up 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.5 assists per game in 2016-17 for the Knickerbockers.