New York Knicks: Five biggest storylines for 2019 offseason

4. Figuring out point guard … again

Ntilikina factors into this everlasting saga for the New York Knicks: the future of the point guard position. Once again, the team will enter the offseason without a clear-cut player to handle the ball on most possessions.

From that player to Dennis Smith Jr., Emmanuel Mudiay, Trey Burke, Kadeem Allen and Mario Hezonja, nearly half a roster count received this chance, and no one ran away with it.

Mudiay and Smith each flashed upside in spurts, but the former struggled mightily defensively and the latter was erratic shooting the basketball.

Allen looked sharp in his limited run, but it’s too early to call him a starting point guard and not a quality backup to whoever New York uses to distribute.

Hezonja had an interesting run to close the year as the point forward. That resulted in a 30-point game and a triple-double, but installing a player who was otherwise inconsistent for the other 80 games is the last thing needed to excite the fanbase. Instead, he can return on a smaller deal than the $6.5 million Perry and Mills handed out last summer.

The only players under contract from this group are Ntilikina and Smith, and the Knicks can sign Mudiay to his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. So it’s possible this team has its 2019-20 point guard already rostered.

None of these players excite enough, or have shown enough, as a long-term piece. The draft and free agency might be the call to fill this position, if the Knicks feel that way, and there are ample players in both offseason aspects for this organization to acquire.