New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina has become a polarizing figure, but recently-hired team president Leon Rose is unlikely to shop the 21-year-old for a future trade.
The New York Knicks have a complicated relationship with the Phil Jackson era. A vast majority of the individuals whom Jackson acquired have been shopped or successfully traded, and those who remain have struggled to find consistent playing time.
As Leon Rose progresses through the beginning stages of his tenure as team president, it appears as though he won’t be holding those same grudges.
Rose is a longtime agent whose agency happened to have worked with a current Knicks player: Frank Ntilikina. As such, speculation has mounted that Ntilikina, a Jackson holdover, could be shopped by an individual he’d seemingly scorned.
According to Ian Begley of SNY, Rose is unlikely to follow in the previous regime’s footsteps and shop Ntilikina.
.@NY_Knicks_Fr asked about the possibility of the Knicks, under Leon Rose, keeping Frank Ntilikina next season. I don’t think anyone on the roster is off limits, but I also don’t see Rose shopping Ntilikina in the way NYK previously had: pic.twitter.com/W22D8GxXh3
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) April 15, 2020
For those who can’t access the video, Begley’s response included the educated thought that Ntilikina will not be shopped by Leon Rose:
"“It’s hard for me to put a percentage right now on the likelihood that Ntilikina is back with the team, but I do think that Leon Rose isn’t going to be out there shopping Ntilikina as the Knicks had been previously.”"
In other words: Teams could approach the Knicks with a trade offer for Ntilikina, but the franchise itself will not be pursuing a move in the short-term.
Ntilikina, who’s still just 21 years of age, has shown signs of growth during the 2019-20 season. During his final 10 appearances before the NBA pressed pause, he averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 assists on 42.6 percent shooting in just 21.4 minutes of action per game.
That translates to 14.1 points and 6.1 assists per 36 minutes, and includes a career-best showing of 20 points and 10 assists against the Washington Wizards.
That in no way guarantees that he’s a part of the Knicks’ long-term plans, but it does appear as though Rose will be more patient than his predecessors.
There’s certainly reason for Rose to be optimistic about Ntilikina’s ability to develop into a quality two-way player. He’s posting career-best marks in field goal, two-point, and three-point percentage in 2019-20, as well as boasting career-high shooting from the free throw line.
Coupled with his established defensive reputation, it appears as though Ntilikina is trending in the right direction now that he’s healthy and more confident.
If the rumors hold true, Frank Ntilikina could get one last shot to earn a new contract from the New York Knicks in 2020-21.