Knicks owner: It's possible Kristaps Porzingis is out all next season

Chris Iseman | Bergen

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Knicks president Steve Mills said last week that they hadn't thought about the possibility of Kristaps Porzingis not playing next season.

But the team's owner apparently has.

In an interview with the New York Post, James Dolan, the Madison Square Garden executive chairman, addressed Porzingis' status as well as what the Knicks are looking for in their next head coach. Dolan also addressed what he believes was one of Jeff Hornacek's shortcomings.

The Knicks fired Hornacek shortly after their final game and are now conducting a coaching search.

Dolan told the Post that Porzingis is a "great player" and the Knicks need to build around him.

When the forward is back on the court again is uncertain. Porzingis tore his left ACL on Feb. 6 and had surgery shortly after. The expectation is that he will be out until at least December of next season, and possibly later.

If he returns at all.

“I’ve been told everything from December to him being out for the season, so I don’t know what to expect on that,” Dolan said, according to the Post. “But we can’t just sit on our [butt] while he’s away. We need to develop a team and then integrate him into it when he comes back.”

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When asked last week about the possibility of not playing next season, Porzingis said it's been tough enough just sitting out the final months of this past season. Sitting out didn't sound like something he would want to do.

"It’s hard because I don’t know when I’m going to be healthy," Porzingis said. "I don’t want to go too far ahead. I want to be right now in the moment and then as it comes closer then it will all be clear."

Porzingis is also up for a contract extension this summer. If the Knicks wait until next year to make him that offer, they could save salary cap room.

Whenever he does return, Porzingis will be playing for his third head coach (fourth including Kurt Rambis' interim head coaching stint).

The Knicks are in the process of interviewing candidates, which include Mark Jackson, David Fizdale, Jerry Stackhouse, Mike Woodson, David Blatt and Kenny Smith.

In the interview with the Post, Dolan echoed the comments Mills and general manager Scott Perry made last week in saying the team needs a coach who can relate to "today's players."

“I think Hornacek had the same kind of issue that Phil [Jackson] did in that he didn’t grasp how different the players are now in the way they think and deal with management and the coaches,” Dolan said. “I think he was way behind on that.

Dolan also said the "old style of coaching doesn't work" and that a coach cannot try to do everything himself.

The Knicks just finished their fourth consecutive season with at least 50 losses and their fifth straight year without a playoff appearance. Their rebuild will continue for at least another season before they can add a high-impact player in free agency, and along with a couple of high draft picks, could possibly become a contender again.

Hiring a head coach that can oversee the rebuild comes first.

Email: iseman@northjersey.com