When the trade deadline passed Thursday afternoon, the Knicks didn't pull off any last-minute deals, content to let the stunning Kristaps Porzingis deal swung a week earlier stand as the next step in their rebuild.
The Knicks immediate moves now will be to negotiate buyouts for players who they could not find a trading partner to move out. Enes Kanter is the obvious candidate, having worn out his usefulness on the court as the 10-43 Knicks have decided to head in another direction, and who has tested the team's patience off it with his constant chatter about playing time, political issues and even clapping along with fans chanting for him to play.
He was not with the team at practice Thursday afternoon as they prepared to fly to Detroit for Friday's game and he said earlier this week that he and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, will sit down with Knicks executives Steve Mills and Scott Perry after the deadline to try to find an amicable parting.
"If nothing happens, after the deadline I'll just go in and sit down and talk to them and see what's going on, because I want both sides to be good," Kanter said after Tuesday's loss to the Pistons. "I don't want to leave on bad terms, definitely, because this organization gave me so much. Definitely if I leave I want to leave on good terms with everybody.
"It's part of the business. It's definitely part of the business. You're never going to know where your next home is going to be. Have to wait and see. We have two days left so we have to wait and see what happens. If nothing happens I'll sit down and talk to Scott and Steve. I'll sit down and talk to them with respect."
Newcomer Wes Matthews, who was on the practice floor on Thursday afternoon, along with the rest of the Knicks, is also expected to be bought out, allowing him to finish out his expiring contract with a playoff-bound team.
The Knicks had value in each of those two _ large expiring contracts and productive players _ but were adamant that they would not take back contracts that extend beyond this season, keeping their cap room and flexibility in place. The Knicks have insisted that it is not an all-or-nothing free-agent chase this summer with the financial flexibility allowing them to make other moves if they choose.
