With the departure of Steve Mills as president of the New York Knicks team, many have wondered if Frank Ntilikina still has support within a renewed front office that is no longer invested in the decision to select him with the eighth overall choice in the Draft NBA 2017. But suggestions are starting to emerge that the young guard’s place on the roster is still safe.
In answering a question about the post, New York Post reporter Marc Berman wrote: “While [Ntilikina] split [with Leon Rose as his agent] after his second season of bruised feelings, the feeling is that Rose wants transform French into a precious piece “.
Ntilikina was represented by Rose at the CAA before he decided to change agents, causing tension reported at the time. However, it appears that there may now be water under the bridge.
As Berman points out in his piece, Rose has spoken a lot about the young guard during his only public comments since he was appointed president of the team. Speaking to MSG Networks, Rose said, “Under the right circumstances, I think it can really thrive.” Of course, the CAA ex also had nice things to say about Dennis Smith Jr., which many believe he may be fleeing New York.
Perhaps no actor in Knicks’ story spawned more conversations than third year guard Frank Ntilikina. The Frenchman became a sensation on #KnicksTwitter for his tempting defensive prowess. There is an equally vocal section of Knicks fans who are ready to switch from the guard who averages 6 points per game with 36.6% of filming during his three-year career.
New York doesn’t have to make an immediate decision on Ntilikina’s future, as he signed his rookie scale contract for next season for $ 6.2 million. However, he is slated to become a limited free agent in 2021, and may be an interesting piece for Rose to tip to improve the role in the short term.
In April, SNY reported that Rose appears less willing to shop in Ntilikina than the previous regime, which blocked him on the block during last year’s NBA draft.
Perhaps the Knicks will try to build up the French guard’s reserves before trying to push him into a bigger deal for a discontented stellar player. Ntilikina saw her development stunted by inconsistent game time during her tenure in Madison Square Garden.