Things aren't looking so bright for the New York Knicks these days.
Carmelo Anthony isn't happy, Derrick Rose appears unstable, and $72-million free-agent signee Joakim Noah looks like a shell of his former self.
With a postseason berth looking more like a distant possibility, now is officially the time for New York to say goodbye to the 2016-17 season and hand the keys over to Kristaps Porzingis.
A superstar in the making
To win in the NBA you need a superstar.
As dysfunctional as the Knicks may appear, they are fortunate enough to have one, or at the very least a player capable of carrying the franchise.
After appearing to hit the inevitable rookie wall near the end of last season, Porzingis has come out with guns blazing during his sophomore campaign, averaging 19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and two blocks on 40.2 percent from deep. These aren't quite franchise player numbers, but they're also outstanding for player his age, and all signs suggest that they'll only continue to improve going forward.
A 7-foot-3 power forward with guard-like skills, Porzingis is a nightmare of a matchup no matter who the opposing team decides to throw on him. With a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Porzingis' shot is virtually unblockable, and is only becoming more lethal as he continues to mature.
The Latvian's could benefit from some work in the post, but any improvement in that area would only make his inside-out game all the more lethal.
Simply put, Porzingis is the ultimate stretch-four, and is unquestionably a player worthy of building around.
Why now?
To be fair, the Knicks still have an outside shot of making the playoffs, but is a first-round exit really worth potentially damaging the team's future?
Carmelo Anthony is already 32 years old, making it unlikely that his trade value will ever be higher than it is right now.
While Melo hasn't exactly shown he's capable of accepting a secondary role on a winning team, he remains one of the game's best one-on-one scorers, and will undoubtedly net a sizable return in any deal. Also, thanks to the league's rising salary cap, Melo's contract actually looks a lot more digestible than it did two years ago, so the Knicks may not even need to take on a bad contract to get a deal done.
The 11-time All-Star does have a no-trade clause, but given his recent comments about the franchise, it would come as little shock if he waived it to latch onto a playoff contender.
Building for the future
Thanks to a pair of win-now trades, the Knicks have drafted just once in the first round since 2013, greatly diminishing their ability to develop young talent.
If the Knicks could get a combination of draft picks and young talent for Anthony, they could finally begin the process of building a contender in the Big Apple.
By keeping Melo for another year or two, the Knicks are essentially just delaying an inevitable rebuild - one that could occur during Porzingis' prime years if they wait too long.
In Porzingod we trust
Sometimes in order to move forward you need to go back.
At the rate things are going, the Knicks remain nowhere near challenging the East's elite, and that isn't likely to change anytime soon given the team's general lack of young talent.
It's certainly a lot to ask, but given what he's shown during the year-and-a-half of his career, Kristaps Porzingis appears more than ready to have the weight of the franchise rested on his narrow shoulders.
