Knicks Trade Rumors: 3 reasons Lonzo Ball is a perfect fit
By Adam Kester
Knicks Trade Rumors: Lonzo Ball Is Affordable for the Knicks
The Knicks have more assets than most other NBA teams. Some of those draft picks and young players are held in higher regard than others. There is no doubt that Lonzo Ball has raised his stock since the beginning of the season. He’s averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 assists per game over his last 10 games. Still, it’s unclear if the Pelicans would want to keep him long-term.
The Pelicans took point guard Kira Lewis Jr. with the 13th pick in The 2020 NBA Draft, and they feel like he has the potential to be the team’s point guard of the future. The Pelicans are in a similar position to the Knicks where they’re trying to rebuild around their young talent while simultaneously staying competitive in the playoff race. They’ve got their hands full in the Western Conference.
For New York, they’d be giving up a young player in Frank Ntilikina who has struggled to find a consistent spot in the rotation. Ntilikina has certainly flashed in moments, especially recently with the Knicks’ injuries, but it’s clear the team isn’t ever going to thrust him into a prominent role as the starting point guard.
Giving up a protected first-round selection may seem like a high draft pick, but the Knicks would be investing in a 23-year-old player who is just entering his prime and could have a positive influence on all of the young talent around him.
Lonzo Ball would certainly cost a chunk of change for a contract extension, but it wouldn’t be in the max contract range. A rough estimate of a Lonzo Ball contract extension would be around 3-4 years, 13-17 million per year. The Knicks would be locking up a young point guard whose game has been progressing and hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. Ball would have a positive impact for New York in more ways than one.