New York Knicks newly signed center Willy Hernangomez talks about his upcoming rookie season coming overseas from Europe.
TheNew York Knickshad a very busy offseason, as they made a ton of moves to upgrade their roster. There were some that grabbed headlines, such as the trade forDerrick Roseand the signings ofJoakim NoahandCourtney Lee.
One of the deals that fell through the cracks and didn’t get much recognition wasWilly Hernangomez. The Knicks selected Hernangomez 35th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft and stashed him overseas for the 2015-16 season.
His agent, Andy Miller,expressed a desireto bring him over to the NBA this season, and the two sides were able to bang out a deal to bring Hernangomez to the Knicks this season, agreeing to a four-year, $5.9 million deal.
Hernangomez signed the deal last Thursday with one of his best friends and former teammateKristaps Porzingisby his side. Here is what he had to say about his relationship with Porzingis in an interview with ESPN New York’s Ian Begley:
"We are very close. We can say that we are like brothers. He told me about New York. He talked about me with the coaches and with the GM [Steve Mills] and with Phil. So this is a great opportunity. He’s going to help me a lot. He wanted me to go there now. He told me, “Willy, don’t go with me to the national team, just stay with me over the summer.” I told him, “I have to go to the international team.” But he’s going to help me for sure.I’m very happy to play with him again. … We talk every day about that. When I’m in New York in September, October, we’ll go to dinner together and hang out. I’m excited to play with him next year. He’s going to help me a lot."
Having Porzingis with him will undoubtedly help ease the transition for Hernangomez, as the two played together in Europe prior to Porzingis being selected last season. Porzingis should also help ease some of his nerves, as Hernangomez was unsurprisingly nervous about his first interaction withPhil Jackson.
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Hernangomez went to dinner with Jackson and some of the other members of the Knicks brass prior to signing a deal. Hernangomez said he was so nervous about meeting them for the first time, he was leftspeechless.
“He [Jackson] told me, ‘Willy it was very nice to meet you and I love your game,'” Hernangomez recalled. “I couldn’t say anything to him because I was very nervous, but I feel like they trusted me so I have confidence.”
Hernangomez should slide right into the backup center or power forward role with the Knicks, and will battle it out withKyle O’QuinnandMarshall Plumleefor minutes. Center looks to be the position he will start off at, as his offense needs some more polish but he has an NBA body and can bang inside.
Next: 6 Takeaways From New York Knicks Summer League
Hernangomez had a full interview with Begley while practicing with the Spanish National Team in preparation for the Olympics in August. He discusses his expectations for his rookie season with in the NBA and how he will fit in with the Knicks. Check out the full interview transcribedhere.
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