Knicks president: Porzingis threatened return to Europe if not traded

The story behind Kristaps Porzingis' exit from the Big Apple has taken yet another twist.

New York Knicks president Steve Mills said Porzingis gave the front office an ultimatum before he was acquired by the Dallas Mavericks in a seven-player blockbuster deal prior to the trade deadline.

"(Porzingis) walked into my office - and (general manager Scott Perry) was sitting there with me - and point blank said to us, 'I don't want to be here. I'm not going to re-sign with the Knicks and I'm going to give you seven days to trade me or I'm going back to Europe,'" Mills said at a fan forum event Wednesday.

Mills said he had trade offers for Porzingis dating back to September and thus was able to act quickly once the big man made his intentions known.

"Fortunately for us ... we had a number of deals lined up," Mills said. "We just started a trade call as soon as he walked out of the office."

Shortly after the deal, Porzingis posted cryptic messages on social media that were seemingly related to his departure from the club.

Porzingis was reportedly the subject of an NYPD investigation in March after a woman told police that the 23-year-old raped her in his hotel room in February 2018. The All-Star denied the allegations through his lawyer.

Just two months later, the Latvian native was reportedly assaulted at a club in Europe. A video surfaced showing a bloodied Porzingis after an apparent altercation. The Mavericks said they're investigating the matter.

Porzingis missed the entire 2018-19 season to recover from a torn left ACL.