Kristaps Porzingis' brother says Knicks star 'feels at home' in New York

Amidst the disaster that was the New York Knicks' 2016-17 season, fans could always hang their hats on the presence of Kristaps Porzingis, who has been viewed as the future of the franchise since shortly after draft day.

So when reports surfaced that the 7-foot-3, 21-year-old star skipped his end-of-season exit meetings with team management — followed by a since-deleted "LA Clippers" tweet from his account that he claimed was sent by a hacker — there was some cause for concern amongst the Knicks faithful.

On Wednesday, Porzingis' older brother Janis — who is part of the agency run by Kristaps' agent, Andy Miller — may have helped alleviate some of those concerns.

"Kris wants to stay in New York; he feels at home there. There is no question about it," he said in an interview with ESPN. "The only thing he wants is for the Knicks to create an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win."

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If Kristaps were to be traded, though unlikely, Janis said he would "play out his contract and head into free agency, where he can choose his own destiny."

Porzingis — who has expressed a desire to stay in New York long-term many times in the past but has also clearly been frustrated with the Knicks' never-ending dysfunction — has two years left on his four-year rookie contract with the team. Barring an extension, he will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019.

This season, a year removed from a strong 2015-16 campaign in which he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind the Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl Anthony Towns, Porzingis averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, two blocks and hit 1.7 three-pointers per game.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK

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