Report: Woman asked Knicks to 'mediate' payment from Porzingis

The woman who said former New York Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis sexually assaulted her initially asked the team's legal department to privately "mediate" a financial settlement, according to correspondence acquired by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

After communicating with the woman between late October and early November, the Knicks reportedly referred her to Porzingis' lawyers.

The 29-year-old maintained she and Porzingis co-signed a handwritten agreement, with Porzingis promising to deliver a check for $68,000. The agreement obtained by ESPN repeatedly misspells Porzingis' first name as "Kristap."

Porzingis' attorney, Roland G. Riopelle, told ESPN that his client "denies signing the alleged contract, which we believe is a forgery," adding that the complainant would not provide the document for handwriting analysis. The legal team said it brought the matter to federal law enforcement on Dec. 20.

The alleged rape occurred in Porzingis' New York City apartment in the early morning after he suffered a serious knee injury during a Knicks game on Feb. 6, 2018.

ESPN characterizes texts and emails between the woman and Porzingis as showing signs that the former had hoped to continue a romantic relationship with the player after the alleged assault.

In one email from the woman to the Knicks obtained by ESPN, she said her fandom of the team contributed to her reluctance to bring the matter to the police:

After the extremely aggressive encounter, he was very apologetic, loving and caring ... hence, the offer he made to pay my (little) bro's tuition + more. ... Although how he treated me was horrendous, as a Knicks fan, I do not want him to get him in any trouble with the law. I stayed back and enjoyed the rest of the time I spent with him. It's crucial to note the fun times I had with him doesn't negate the fact that he offered to compensate me as a soothing gift even though I didn't ask him to.

Porzingis' lawyer told ESPN on Monday that New York County's district attorney is now involved in the matter.

"We have been contacted by (the New York County) district attorney's office and we are cooperating fully with their investigation," Riopelle told Wojnarowski. "We have agreed to provide the district attorney's office with the materials that we previously provided to the federal authorities in support of our extortion complaint.

"We are confident that, after the district attorney reviews these materials, they will recognize that the complaint made in this case is completely meritless."