NBA teams
Ian Begley, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Carmelo Anthony reached out to Kristaps Porzingis amid reports

NBA Draft, NBA, New York Knicks

Carmelo Anthony reached out to Kristaps Porzingis, the New York Knicks' first-round draft pick, on Saturday after reports surfaced that the Knicks star was unhappy with the organization's decision to select the 19-year-old Latvian.

"Carmelo reached out to Kris after all of that. It was beautiful that a player of that profile can do something like that. It's great," Porzingis' older brother, Janis, said Monday during an appearance on ESPN 98.7 FM's "The Hahn and Humpty Show."

On Friday night, Anthony wrote on Instagram that Porzingis was "a steal" and that he "can't wait" to see him play.

However, shortly after the draft Thursday night, Anthony expressed displeasure about Phil Jackson's decision to draft Porzingis in a phone conversation with ex-Knick Tim Hardaway Jr., sources confirmed to ESPN.

The conversation was earlier reported by the New York Daily News.

Janis Porzingis also said in Monday's interview that his brother has been dealing with a hip injury that has prohibited him from working out in recent days. Kristaps Porzingis' workout with the Knicks on June 22 was cut short because of the hip ailment, which Janis described as "tightness."

Janis Porzingis said his brother might have experienced tightness because of the strenuous workouts he had been through to prepare for his workout in Las Vegas on June 12, which was in front of an audience comprising dozens of NBA executives. He projected that his younger brother could be back working out regularly in a few days.

The elder Porzingis added, though, that it is unclear whether Kristaps will be available for the beginning of summer league play, which starts July 11.

"I don't know, I really don't know," Janis Porzingis said. "I'd like to answer this also for myself, but I really don't know. We'll see that."

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