Frank Ntilikina’s time in New York has been nothing but a disappointment to this point.
As the former No. 8 overall selection in the 2017 NBA draft, Frank Ntilikina has averaged a mere 5.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 21 minutes per game. He came into the NBA as a defensive-minded player, yet has failed to show any offensive promise in his two NBA seasons, shooting only 35 percent from the field and 30 percent from range.
With the Knicks looking to move into contention in 2019-2020 by adding major free agents, cap space is certainly something the Knicks are interested in increasing. Ntilikina is set to make $4.85 million in 2019-2020, New York has been rumored to be willing to move on from the Frenchman in exchange for an early second round pick.
Saving the Knicks this amount of capital while also gaining a decent second round selection could be enough for Dolan to say bye to Ntilikina.
Chicago should be more than willing to trade the 38th pick to New York for the 20-year-old point guard, as the chance to obtain a former top-10 pick for only a second rounder is an opportunity that almost never happens.
Despite the woes he suffered as a Knickerbocker, the potential is most certainly still there. He struggled to see minutes in New York and could still become an above-average defender and distributor.