Philadelphia 76ers Were Not Even Allowed to Meet Kristaps Porzingis Before the NBA Draft

Adrian Wojnarowski’s Yahoo! vertical, The Vertical, officially launched today. (Woj dropped by to talk about the site earlier this week. Listen here.) One of the first big features on The Vertical is the story of how Kristaps Prozingis and the New York Knicks fell in love. Deep in the story is a smaller story about how the Philadelphia 76ers were not allowed to interact with the 7’3″ rookie. Via The Vertical:

"Whatever happened, Miller didn’t make it easy for Philadelphia to draft Porzingis at No. 3. The Sixers wouldn’t be afforded Porzingis’ physical, nor get a private workout, nor even a face-to-face meeting. After most of the pro day executives cleared out of the gym in Vegas in mid-June, 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie lingered to meet with Miller. Hinkie stopped him in the lobby area and asked Miller about a chance to sit down and visit with Porzingis. “You said that I would get a meeting with him here,” Hinkie told Miller. “I said, ‘I’d try,’ and it’s not going to work out, Sam,” Miller responded. An awkward silence lingered, the GM and agent, standing and staring. The Porzingis camp wanted no part of the Sixers’ situation at No 3. Miller couldn’t stop Philadelphia from drafting Porzingis, but he could limit the information they had to make a decision. And did. No physical. No meeting. No workout. The Sixers passed on Porzingis on draft night, clearing the way for the Knicks to select him. "

The Process really is something, isn’t it!?