NEW YORK — Let’s start by pointing out that the Knicks, to begin with, were not carrying the greatest reputation among players and agents. Since winning 54 games in 2012-13, the Knicks have gone 117-211, cycling through three coaches in four years and finding themselves whacked, pretty consistently, with negative headlines.

That’s nothing new. You don’t go to New York as an NBA player these days if wins are what you want. The Knicks have won just one playoff series in 17 years, after all. But even tainted with that failure, players still felt a draw toward New York, still embraced the circus while the team’s record foundered.

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But that’s changed. And this week’s news that Kristaps Porzingis could be on the trading block only made things worse.

“I was talking to one of our players the other day, a free agent, and we were looking at our options,” one agent said. “And it used to be, ‘Yeah, get me to New York.’ Even when they were struggling, there are guys who want to be in the city. But he was saying, ‘no, no, not that environment, not now.’ They’re not just alienating their own players, they’re alienating all players. They’re making things hard on themselves there.”

The last seven months have seen a bottoming out in New York, as players there have gotten weary a front office that does not seem to have their backs. Back in December, there was the criticism that team president Phil Jackson leveled at star Carmelo Anthony, when he complained in an interview that Anthony holds the ball too long. That came on the heels of another controversy, in which Jackson had referred to the business associates of LeBron James as a “posse.”

Jackson’s public statements have been rare, but they’ve been heaped with missteps and pocked with public swipes at players, Anthony in particular. Anthony may be a polarizing figure as a player, but he is popular among his peers around the league, and having played on four USA Basketball Olympic entrants, he has forged relationships with elite players all over the league.

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There’s extra notice taken when Jackson criticizes Anthony. In April, during the Knicks’ postseason media gaggle, Jackson told reporters, “We have not been able to win with (Anthony) on the court,” and called on Anthony — who has the right to refuse a trade — to be willing to let the Knicks deal him.

The NBPA quickly came to Anthony’s defense, pointing out the hypocrisy of Jackson publicly pressuring Anthony to accept a trade, when players are not allowed to make public trade demands. “The door swings both ways when it comes to demonstrating loyalty and respect,” union executive director Michele Roberts said.

The Knicks had already laid a foundation of distrust among players — its own and others around the league — heading into the offseason, but when word came this week that the team was shopping Porzingis, their blossoming 21-year-old star big man, that distrust grew.

Porzingis had skipped exit interviews in April, upset by the Knicks’ internal dysfunction. That drew the ire of team officials, and the response appears to be these trade rumors. Executives around the league question how serious the Knicks are about moving Porzingis — in addition to seeking a king’s ransom for Porzingis, the Knicks want teams to take on Joakim Noah’s albatross contract — or whether this entire exercise has been designed to send a message to the player.

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Again, players and agents around the league have taken notice.

“There are 30 teams, and you don’t want to write off anybody, because there’s only so many rotation spots around the league,” another agent said. “But of course you’d have to be worried about sending a guy to New York with this front office, especially an upper-level guy. Because he might be doing what he can to help and you might have the team president there ripping him in the media like it’s his fault or putting him in trade rumors.

“No one wants that. You have to be concerned about that.”

That agent pointed out that when the Knicks signed Anthony to a new contract in the summer of 2014, Jackson had publicly urged Anthony to sign for less than the max in order to help the team maintain some cap flexibility. Anthony first mentioned being willing to do so that February, but Jackson brought it up ahead of negotiations with Anthony, saying in April 2014 he hoped Anthony stayed “true to his word.”

Anthony did so, but the agent said, Jackson should not have gone public with the pressure.

“You do the deal, then tell everyone Melo willingly sacrificed money, make him look like the good guy,” the agent said. “That’s how you support a star player. But Phil made himself look like the hero, like, ‘I got Melo to take less.’”

It was a moment, three years ago, that left a bad taste among those paying attention to it. But it was just the beginning. The Knicks’ reputation among players has continued to take hits since then, and this week was just another low point.