Chicago Bulls: 5 potential trade targets with stock up from FIBA World Cup
2. Frank Ntilikina
Position: Point Guard
Country: France
NBA Team: New York Knicks
An often discussed point guard option that the Chicago Bulls could’ve landed from the New York Knicks is a former top 10 pick from the 2017 NBA Draft, the talented but flawed Frank Ntilikina. A possible point guard swap could happen between the Bulls and the Knicks if Ntilikina were to be involved.
Many of the same problems that plagued Ntilikina with the Knicks in his first two seasons in the NBA got him with France in the FIBA World Cup. He averaged just 8.0 points per game and well under three assists. One of the highlighted parts of his game when he was drafted by the Knicks in the top 10 was his ceiling as an elite floor general (which included his vision).
Averaging almost as many turnovers per game as assists is not a good sign considering Ntilikina’s combination in the World Cup wasn’t as difficult as it is in the NBA. But he did show positive signs that weren’t there consistently in his game previous to the World Cup.
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Ntilikina showed that he can be a standout perimeter defender against solid competition whenever France was playing a big game. He locked down on the United States backcourt when the French team knocked them off in the final 16-team tournament play. The ability to rise to the occasion on defense and remain more consistent shooting from the field in the second half is a new positive trend from Ntilikina.