Kristaps Porzingis spoke on Thursday about his ugly end with the Knicks, calling it "part of the business," but also reflected on some mistakes he made after the fact and whether things could've been fixed before it all ended so messily.
"I don't know," Porzingis half-joked when asked if he wanted to clarify what happened on his way out. "I'll probably get in more trouble if I start talking about that stuff, you know? It is what it is. It wasn't ideal. But now I'm in a new place, I'm looking forward to the future. I don't want to go back too much and bring that stuff up. It is what it is. It happened, it's part of the business. It just ended up that way."
Repeatedly trying to deflect the questions back to the present (he's with the Mavericks, Friday is just another game, etc.), Porzingis said he didn't need any "extra juice" to excel against the Knicks.
However, the 24-year-old admitted that things didn't end in New York the way he wanted -- and that he made some mistakes while dealing with the aftermath.
"It definitely wasn't the way I wanted it to happen," he said. "There wasn't really another way how to do it, and with all the emotions going on (during) that moment when I got traded, I put out some stupid Instagram stories laying in my bed late at night. We all make mistakes -- it wasn't perfect. There was no smooth way out of that, I think. It got a little bit ugly, but it's in the past right now. And I have nothing negative to say really about that situation."
Porzingis received vitriol from some Knicks fans after the trade, but said Thursday that he has nothing but love for the city and the fans.
"It's a part of the business," he said about the trade and fan reaction. "I have nothing but love for the city of New York and the fans. They showed me so much support the time I was there. They're so passionate about the team. It's normal that they feel that way. All I can do is just look forward to what I have in front of me and not behind, and that's it. It is what it is."