New York Knicks: Playing keep or discard with team options

Already Settled

The Knicks had already taken care of a trio of team options before the 2019-20 NBA season had even tipped-off. The players we’re talking about are currently on their rookie contracts, which means that the Knicks appear to see them as crucial building pieces for the future.

Starting on a more positive note, Frank Ntilikina’s stay with the Knicks had already been secured despite failing to meet expectations for his first two seasons in NY. Ntilikina is now the longest-serving Knick on the roster.

The French Prince hasn’t quite made that big leap in his career just yet, though the amount of criticism and pressure that hovers around him is ridiculous.

It’s time to put the whole misconception to an end: Scoring the basketball does not make you a quality player, and vice versa. The following statistic is from Ntilikina’s rookie season, fresh after a season in Europe, a situation in which most players tend to struggle.

Moving on to the other players whose rookie contracts were extended for the 2020-21 season, both Dennis Smith Jr. and Kevin Knox will be playing basketball in Madison Square Garden next year.

These are a couple of players that might not look all that promising for the future. Knox had a disastrous rookie campaign last season and has somehow managed to build on that by displaying sheer deterioration on almost every aspect of his game.

Similarly to Knox, Smith appears to be also struggling with his confidence and lack of effort on the court. After being picked up last season, he was supposed to be the franchise point guard for the future. Instead, he has started in just three games this season, averaging less than six points per game on atrocious shooting percentages.

Damyean Dotson will enter free agency this summer, but at just 25 years of age, the Knicks would be foolish to let a promising 3-and-D wing depart their woeful franchise.