Allonzo Trier was one of the few bright spots for the Knicks this season, but things may not have been so smooth behind closed doors.
Per Marc Berman of The Post, the Knicks veterans were displeased with Trier's one-on-one style of play and believed it had an adverse effect on the team's culture.
"His play on the court was cancerous," an NBA source told The Post. "A lot of guys didn't like the way he didn't play team ball. He cared about himself too much. He looked guys off who were open."
There were certainly instances throughout the season where teammates grew visibly frustrated with Trier, who gave himself the nickname "IsoZo."
During a Nov. 27 game against the Pistons, Trier had Trey Burke open ahead of him down the court but opted to drive to the basket and draw a foul instead of passing the ball for an easy layup.
Players from the bench reacted angrily toward Trier while Burke stood with his palms up.
On Jan. 23, a similar incident happened with Tim Hardaway Jr. when Trier refused to pass the ball to him on a 2-on-1 fastbreak and Hardaway chewed him out.
Both Burke and Hardaway were traded to the Mavericks in the Kristaps Porzingis deal.
Another NBA source told The Post that Trier was often the last one picked for pickup games during practice.
One solution to reel in Trier could be the Knicks' pursuit of Kevin Durant.
Durant had attended Trier's high school games in Oklahoma and became somewhat of a mentor to the 6-foot-5 guard to the point where Trier considers Durant as an older brother-type figure.
"Trier said last week he "absolutely" hopes the Knicks land Durant and said he would speak to him directly, although he was warned by a Knicks public relations official about tampering.
"I really don't bother him [during the season]," he said. "If he wants to congratulate me on playing well, [he'll text], 'Keep it up.' When we talk he says if I ever need advice, I should talk to him. He's grown. I'm not a young man [any more,] I don't want to be a burden. He's a good family friend to have. He's like a brother to me."
Trier, who earned a spot this season as an undrafted rookie, finished the year averaging 10.9 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field but missed the final 11 games of the season with a knee/calf strain.
