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The seven-foot Latvian Kristaps Porzingis is reportedly exercising his options for the upcoming NBA season. Even if the Wizards are on a rebuilding mission, they could still offer Porzingis a healthy living with a $36 million option for the 2023-24 season. Is this the best option in the Kristaps Porzingis free agency 2023 frenzy?
We look at five potential franchises he could play at.
Kristaps Porzingis free agency 2023
Houston Rockets
The best players hitting free agency will always play the field for the best deal. The team with the most salary cap room is the Houston Rockets. While the Rockets probably won’t be willing to spend all their money on a single player, they could still offer a sizeable amount.
It’s how much time Porzingis wants to spend outside the playoffs. The Rockets could be worse than the Wizards and he’d end up spending more time on the outside of NBA glory. Yet, with the money he could make he’d easily get over it by buying himself a new car, penthouse, etc.
Phoenix Suns
What do the Phoenix Suns need? Athleticism, ballhandling skills, and in-the-paint performers. Picking up Kristaps Porzingis could tick off multiple objectives in the Suns’ offseason plans as he already possesses a lot of skills the team needs.
Should the Kristaps Porzingis free agency 2023 end this way, it’ll signify a step up for the player. A bumper Porzingis contract will not be offered, rather the increased chance to play in the playoffs and even the NBA Finals should offset the desire for money. At 27 years old, Porzingis could see what it’s like to be among other superstars instead of being the standout player.
If he doesn’t like it, he can always find another team in the 2024-25 season.
New York Knicks
Yep, we could be on for a re-run. Kristaps Porzingis turned out for the New York Knicks between 2015 and 2019 as he took to the NBA like a duck to water. Arguably, playing his best ball at the franchise, he picked up mantles including best rookie and was named to the 2018 All-Star team.
In 2023, the Knicks are a much better franchise than they were during the Latvian’s tenure. In theory, the team is already set up for success but has a spot for a game-changer. Enter the Latvian.
After all, it was only in January 2023 that in an interview with the New York Post, Porzingis said that he thoroughly enjoyed playing his home games at Madison Square Garden, that he admired the organization and he regretted the way that he exited the franchise. Given these words came from a man, who enters free agency just a few months later, could he have been setting up the scene for a historic return to the Knicks?
Los Angeles Lakers
For a lot of basketball players and fans, the Los Angeles Lakers have come to define basketball success, culture, and generally everything about the sport. While the team hasn’t been very successful over the last decade, the yellow-and-purple jersey still holds a lot of prestige.
Of course, bringing in LeBron James helped them out as the team has started to get back to its glory days in more recent years. However, the team needs another big guy to complement their roster. Porzingis’s seven-foot frame should be enough for them.
The team has already spread out quite a lot of its salary cap. However sitting on the Lakers roster would offer Porzingis something that money can’t buy, the opportunity to rub shoulders with LeBron James, which is a big USP for the franchise.
Should the contract negotiations become more formal then other selling points will no doubt be presented to the Latvian free agent. Could he make history and be in the team which brings NBA glory back to the Lakers?
He’d also be reunited with his former Washington Wizard teammate Rui Hachimura.
Washington Wizards
A very real possibility is that the Kristaps Porzingis free agency 2023 scramble simply ends with him re-signing with the Washington Wizards. Of course, he’ll argue and chomp at the bit to make sure he gets the best possible deal out of the team. He could take his $36 million player option or extend with extra years.
It’s a lot of money to stay where he is but the Latvian has to ask himself, can he accomplish his goals at a team with a 35-47 record? If the general manager, Will Dawkins, and head coach, Wes Unseld Jr. can sell the rebuild project to him even without Bradley Beal, then he could stay at the Capital One Arena.
