Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis on Carmelo Anthony: ‘I need him’

Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks reacts with teammate Kristaps Porzingis #6 after a basket in the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, March 24, 2016. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis said he expects to work out with Carmelo Anthony again this offseason, and hopes to still be his teammate next year.
Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract. The speculation during the season was that Anthony might consider waiving it to play for a contender. But as the season went on, Anthony sounded more and more committed to sticking with the Knicks.
“I hope so,” Porzingis said after his exit interview with Knicks officials on Thursday. “I don’t know what he’s thinking exactly. I try to talk to him all the time. I need him. He knows that. I want to play with him in the future. We got to make big things happen together here in New York.”
The Knicks concluded their season Tuesday with a 32-50 mark, and missed the playoffs for the third straight year.
Porzingis, who missed the final seven games with a strained right shoulder, said team president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills conducted the exit interviews. Porzingis said interim coach Kurt Rambis wasn’t in the meeting and also said he wasn’t asked about the coaching situation.
Porzingis said he’s interested in seeing what happens this offseason with the coaching staff and the roster. But he said the Knicks already have enough to be in the postseason next year.
“We have to be a playoff team, we have enough talent to do that,” Porzingis said. “It’s just in our hands. It’s disappointing that we’re at this point already. But the mentality going into next season got to be that we are a playoff team and there’s no other option. I’m maturing, I’m getting better and that’s going to help us a lot, help myself a lot. There’s no other goal for us next season.”