New York Knicks exercise team option for Frank Ntilikina

The New York Knicks officially exercised their team option on Frank Ntilikina for the 2019-20 season.

When the New York Knicks signed Frank Ntilikina to a rookie-scale contract after the 2017 NBA Draft, it gave him two guaranteed seasons and two with team options. It’s the standard deal for first round picks, with the team option usually picked up for at least the third year.

On Monday, the Knicks made a foregone conclusion official, with the announcement of Ntilikina’s third-year option picked up for the 2019-20 season. A fourth-year option remains for 2020-21, which doesn’t have to be exercised until October 2019.

According to Basketball-Reference, Ntilikina will make $4.85 million in 2019-20. For now, it’s the fifth-highest salary on the payroll, but that’s with just eight contracts on the books, some of which do not have guarantees.

In Ntilikina’s rookie season, he averaged 5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists on 36.4 percent shooting and 31.6 percent from three-point range. It happened on a $3.5 million salary, which will increase for 2018-19.

As a sophomore, the Frenchman will make $4.15 million. However, as the money rises, so do the expectations for his on-court play.

Ntilikina’s development will be amongst New York’s main storylines for this season. Can he improve on these first-year numbers? They already tested him defensively, so it may come down to offensive numbers in the next seven months.

As for a potential position, before head coach David Fizdale announces the starting lineup, Ntilikina might handle multiple, given his use in the preseason. It could be point guard, shooting guard, small forward or even as an undersized power forward in certain situaitons. It’s all part of the “positionless” play, which the 6-foot-6 youngster fits for Fizdale’s vision.

No matter how the 20-year-old plays, he has a contract for Year Three. After that, it’s a $6.17 million team option for the rookie-scale deal’s final year. The Knicks have 82 games and an offseason to evaluate if they will exercise it.

Eventually, Ntilikina will hit restricted free agency, unless he and the Knicks agree to a contract extension in October 2020. That’s a distant future for the organization, who still has a Kristaps Porzingis agreement to work towards and the 2019 open market to venture through.

There’s a long-term spot for Ntilikina in New York. At his age, with a rebuild still underway, he will remain an important part of the organization’s track towards the future. How specifically could unfold when the season begins on Wednesday, Oct. 17 against the Atlanta Hawks.