This New York Knicks rumor has picked up a lot of steam the past couple days. The Detroit Pistons are, allegedly, having interest in Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina.
Rumors about NBA players on the move seem to pop up out of nowhere these days. Trading Ntilikina has always been subject to rumor for the past couple seasons. The one rumor last season was him being traded to the Orlando Magic. Then, the rumor resurfaced again before and on this past draft night. But, those obviously didn’t happen.
Just because one reporter in Detroit tweets this rumor, doesn’t mean it’s actually happening.
Ntilikina is still only 21-years-old and coming off a strong performance for his home country of France in the FIBA World Cup. He is showing that hard work pays off and that he has the potential to be something for the Knicks. However, the Knicks need to have the same confidence in him like France did.
In the World Cup, Ntilikina shown that he can handle the ball, make shots and, of course, be a lock down defender. Coach David Fizdale said that he watched 90% of Ntilikina’s games. He hoped to utilize him the same way that France did, but that has been inconsistent already.
The New York Knicks back court always is crowded. Dennis Smith Jr., Elfrid Payton and Ntilikina all will be competing for minutes this season. Lets not forget about Allonzo Trier either.
Trading away Ntilikina would not be a smart move on the Knicks part. The Knicks need to continue to invest in Ntilikina and give him the confidence that France did. If they do, it is apparent that he can perform. Also, it’s always the Knicks luck that if they did trade away Ntilikina, he would become a very good rotational player or starter, if given the opportunity.
The Knicks need to continue to work with Ntilikina and give him the minutes to succeed. With the amount of quality bench players the Knicks have, he will have his moment to prove his worth. Fizdale has to have confidence in Ntilikina this season for the Knicks to pick up his next season option before the end of October.