New York Knicks rumors: Frank Ntilikina drawing trade interest
Recent New York Knicks rumors involve Frank Ntilikina, who is received a lot of interest from teams around the NBA.
New York Knicks rumors have begun popping up in recent days. With Dec. 15 quickly approaching, the day that free agents can be traded, NBA trade chatter is beginning to pick up.
We will hear plenty of Knicks rumors between now and the NBA Trade Deadline on Feb. 7. New York is rebuilding, so it could look to trade some of its veteran players for future assets. Players on one-year deals will also be subject to trade rumors, as they can help facilitate deals to make money match.
There are a number of players currently on the Knicks’ roster that the organization could look to move in the coming weeks. Players finishing set to become free agents, such as Enes Kanter, could be shopped. Veterans such as Lance Thomas and Courtney Lee could also be shopped with an eye toward the future.
Lee is someone to keep an eye on as he works his way back from a neck injury that has kept him sidelined all season. With Allonzo Trier more than earning a rotation spot, the team will need to open a roster spot for him once his two-way deal expires. Trading Lee would be a logical decision to open one up.
While a lot of the focus will be on veteran players, there is one player in particular that has drawn the most interest around the Knicks rumors mill recently. That player would be Frank Ntilikina.
The second-year guard has not yet lived up to expectations after being the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. His role and playing time have fluctuated throughout the season, which has caused other teams to check in on his availability via trade.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, a number of teams have reached out to gauge the availability of Ntilikina. The Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets are two of the teams that Begley mentioned.
The Brooklyn Nets also expressed interest in Knicks’ second-year guard Frank Ntilikina, per sources. https://t.co/pRvPBE3DJb
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 2, 2018
In addition to Begley, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News also reported teams reaching out in regard to Ntilikina.
Vorkunov shared the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic reached out, while Bondy reported that the Memphis Grizzlies had called the Knicks.
Have heard that Minnesota also has interest in Frank Ntilikina, along with the Magic. @SBondyNYDN reported that the Grizzlies have inquired about the Knicks PG, and @IanBegley reported that the Suns reached out to the Knicks to express interest in him.
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) December 1, 2018
Memphis is another team that has inquired about Ntilikina https://t.co/xYV6ch8SWV
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) November 30, 2018
It is not surprising that so many teams have checked in with the Knicks about Ntilikina. Despite being in his second season in the league, he is the 19th-youngest player in the NBA. He was younger than all but 17 players selected in the 2018 NBA Draft.
With that kind of youth, it will take some time to develop untapped talent. Unfortunately, some fans do not have the patience to see that through and are getting restless when it comes to Ntilikina, and he has done little to quell those worries.
Ntilikina has taken a step back across the board this season. All of his composite and advanced stats have worsened thus far in his second season compared to his first.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 19 | NYK | NBA | PG | 78 | 9 | 21.9 | 2.3 | 6.4 | .364 | 0.6 | 2.0 | .318 | 1.7 | 4.4 | .385 | .414 | 0.6 | 0.9 | .721 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 5.9 |
| 2018-19 | 20 | NYK | NBA | PG | 23 | 14 | 23.1 | 2.2 | 6.7 | .333 | 0.8 | 3.0 | .257 | 1.4 | 3.6 | .398 | .392 | 0.7 | 0.7 | .938 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 5.9 |
| Career | NBA | 101 | 23 | 22.2 | 2.3 | 6.5 | .357 | 0.7 | 2.2 | .300 | 1.6 | 4.2 | .387 | .409 | 0.6 | 0.8 | .762 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 5.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/3/2018.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | MP | PER | TS% | 3PAr | FTr | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% | OWS | DWS | WS | WS/48 | OBPM | DBPM | BPM | VORP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 19 | NYK | NBA | PG | 78 | 1706 | 7.0 | .437 | .314 | .136 | 2.4 | 9.1 | 5.8 | 20.0 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 19.8 | 16.9 | -2.0 | 1.1 | -0.9 | -0.026 | -3.5 | -0.5 | -3.9 | -0.8 | ||
| 2018-19 | 20 | NYK | NBA | PG | 23 | 532 | 5.7 | .422 | .458 | .105 | 0.6 | 8.4 | 4.4 | 16.1 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 16.2 | 15.1 | -0.6 | 0.2 | -0.4 | -0.036 | -3.5 | -1.0 | -4.5 | -0.3 | ||
| Career | NBA | 101 | 2238 | 6.7 | .433 | .348 | .129 | 2.0 | 8.9 | 5.4 | 19.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 19.0 | 16.5 | -2.6 | 1.3 | -1.3 | -0.028 | -3.5 | -0.6 | -4.1 | -1.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/3/2018.
The shooting percentages are truly glaring. Ntilikina can’t hit the broad side of a barn from distance thus far this season. It also isn’t encouraging that his numbers have dropped despite a slight uptick in minutes.
Part of the issue could be his role. Offensively, he too often sits in the corner watching someone else, usually Trey Burke or Emmanuel Mudiay, initiate the offense.
David Fizdale tried to force Ntilikina into the point guard role earlier in the season, but the results weren’t great. Eventually, he was removed from the starting lineup. In the last game against the Milwaukee Bucks, a thrilling overtime victory, Ntilikina didn’t come off the bench, receiving a DNP-CD.
Ntilikina has shown glimpses, such as his 17-point game against the Golden State Warriors and a 16-point, five-rebound, four-assist performance against the Nets. He followed those two games up with back-to-back seven-assist games.
Since that four-game stretch, Ntilikina’s performance has fallen off a cliff. The inconsistency on offense is frustrating to see. However, his defense has still been good.
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New York has a defensive net rating of 108.5 when Ntilikina is on the court and 111.5 when he is off. He also holds opponents to a slightly worse shooting percentage when he is defending them compared to their average shooting percentage. While 0.3 percent isn’t a huge difference, but it shows he frustrates his opponent when he is defending them.
Ntilikina’s defense is an asset, but the question remains: Is that enough to keep him on the court? His net rating is -8.6, with an offensive rating of 99.8 going with his defensive rating of 108.5. However, when he is off the court, the net rating is only -3.3. The offensive rating skyrockets to 108.2, while the defense worsens, slightly, to 111.5.
While the defense drops off without him, the offense spikes with Ntilikina on the bench. He is already a defensive ace, which is an asset to the team. However, until he finds consistent footing offensively, he will remain a liability.
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At 20 years old, Ntilikina has potential. New York has to figure out a way for him to improve offensively, as his defense, despite being strong, is not enough of a difference-maker to play him big minutes right now. That is enough reason for the team to adjust his role, but it is not enough reason for them to trade him away.