With Frank Ntilikina playing well in place of Elfrid Payton, along with Derrick Rose filling in quite nicely in his new-found, temporary starting job, Young Frank has increased his trade value and might be playing his last games on the New York Knicks.
To all the Frank Stans…I am sorry.
I know you all love the guy and want him to be on the team when they INEVITABLY win a title in the coming years! (Trying to speak it into existence)
Heck, I love Frank Ntilikina as well. He might be one of the top 25 backcourt defenders in the league.
If only he was capable of scoring even just 8-9 points per game, I could see him starting for the New York Knicks today.
The fact remains, his offense is lagging far behind his defensive abilities and that makes him a massive liability in today’s NBA.
Frank Ntilikina could go to a number of other teams with more firepower than the New York Knicks have and really show out.
Should the New York Knicks trade Frank Ntilikina this season?
I’ve traded Frank Ntilikina before, and guess what, I’m doing it again today.
Similar to a trade piece I wrote recently involving Austin Rivers, I want to explore 3 levels of trades for the Frenchman.
Frank Ntilikina surely has more trade value than Austin Rivers does, so the New York Knicks should be able to get better returns in exchange for his services.
We always say “Once a Knick, Always a Knick” for just about anyone who’s spent some time playing at The Garden, but in Frank Ntilikina’s case, I truly want to see him get much more playing time than he’s been getting the last few years and have a real opportunity grow in the league.
Here we’re going to discuss 3 different levels of trades involving Frank Ntilikina.
New York Knicks Frank Ntilikina Trade #1
This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve traded for JJ Redick and it’s probably not the last.
JJ Redick had previously mentioned that if he were to be traded, both the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets would be his ideal destinations as Redick lives in New York during the offseason.
I am a massive fan of JJ Redick as both a player and a personality and would love nothing more for him to spend his final years in the league on the New York Knicks.
I listen to his podcast regularly so having him on my favorite team would make it that much more fun to listen to.
Would also like to have him in the building in order to convince him to start his inevitable coaching career after he retires as a New York Knicks assistant coach.
JJ Redick provides the New York Knicks with both the shooting they desperately need and a veteran player to pair with the young pups with plenty of playoff experience.
They’re making the playoffs, I have spoken. Therefore, they need to start thinking about who would help the team in the tough scenarios that come with a playoff push.
Frank Ntilikina to the Pelicans makes a ton of sense.
Lonzo Ball is likely being traded or re-signing elsewhere, therefore they can use the depth at the guard spots.
He clearly provides the team with a level of defense that very few possess in this league, and would have the ability to re-sign him at a pretty nice discount or match any offer he may get in free agency.
For a struggling team that’s looking to remain young, Frank Ntilikina is a perfect fit.
New York Knicks Frank Ntilikina Trade #2
I know what you’re thinking…why in the world would Golden State ever do this trade?
It’s quite simple really…They’re good, not great. They don’t have an actual chance of competing for a title this season without Klay Thompson and they won’t have the money to re-sign Oubre to an extension either. The Warriors have to make a decision on Oubre’s future with the team soon.
Might as well think about next season and get some pieces that they could actually retain.
Frank Ntilikina and Reggie Bullock fit what the Warriors look for in their guards and forwards, and that’s defense and 3-point shooting.
The Warriors lack depth on their bench, so those two would fill in their guard and wing rotations quite nicely and would come at a substantial discount in comparison to a Kelly Oubre.
The New York Knicks get a bouncy wing who has shown the ability to shoot the 3-ball well in the past.
In fact, even though Kelly Oubre is just a 33% career 3-point shooter, he’s had stretches this season where he was shooting 43% from deep. If Thibs and Co. could help Kelly Oubre become more consistent from deep and set him up for success, he’d be a welcomed addition to a soaring New York Knicks squad.
I do have my reservations regarding this trade, as Oubre may want a hefty contract once this season is up, somewhere in the realm of $17-20 million per season over 3 to 4 years, and I’m not sure that the Knicks’ front office would consider that kind of deal.
It’s a trade to consider, but if I’m Leon Rose, I don’t pull the trigger on this deal and use those assets for something better.
New York Knicks Frank Ntilikina Trade #3
I doubt the Portland Trailblazers move on from CJ McCollum but if they keep losing as they have been, it could be time to re-tool the roster a bit and look towards the future.
CJ McCollum sustained a foot injury back in January and hasn’t played since.
In his absence, Gary Trent Jr has been absolutely crushing to the tune of 15.5 points per game and 42% from deep on close to 8 attempts per game.
Considering Gary Trent Jr is only making $1.6 million this season and will surely sign back with the team for much less than what CJ McCollum is currently making, it might be time for CJ and Portland to go their separate ways,
CJ McCollum doesn’t necessarily fit the New York Knicks’ current timeline as he’s pushing 30 years old, but then again, what really is the Knicks’ timeline anymore?
Coach Thibodeau and Leon rose both seem eager to try to help the team win now, and the team has been hovering right around the middle of the Eastern Conference standings with a roster that was supposed to be one of the worst in the league.
Making a massive upgrade by adding a player that is the caliber of CJ McCollum would help to elevate this team from most likely getting bounced in the 1st round to possibly taking a 2nd round series into games 6 or 7.
The price tag that the New York Knicks would have to pay in this deal is steep, but it could really help the team attract other free agents in the future.
My colleague here at Daily Knicks, Allen Settle, recently discussed 3 reasons why CJ McCollum would be the perfect trade candidate for the New York Knicks, and I can definitely see where he’s coming from seeing how McCollum would add an instant injection of offense to a Knicks squad that desperately needs it.