In the midst of a subpar start to the regular season, the New York Knicks could have wholesale changes across the roster, including young point guard Frank Ntilikina, one of the last vestiges of a Phil Jackson-ran front office. While many are unsure what Ntilikina could fetch in the trade market, some suggest a late first-rounder isn't outside of the realm of possibility.
“I think teams definitely still value him. Maybe you can get a late first from someone for him because he's still young,” one of three teams with speculative interest told SNY's Ian Begley. “Maybe it's like a (Markelle) Fultz situation where it's best for both parties to move on. You know he can defend. You just don't know what he can be offensively. He's been so inconsistent there.”
Some other teams aren't as high on the young French point man:
“I think they could get back another young player that's been struggling or a second-rounder. Definitely not a first.”
Others value a product that they've seen before more than the unknown factor that comes with drafting a player out of college.
“You know what you have (in Ntilikina). Is he better than a kid coming into the draft that you'd get at the end of the first round?”
Some teams value Ntilikina's off-court attributes, known to be a hard worker who is well-liked by coaches and his teammates.”That shouldn't be discounted,” said one of the three teams.
“I don't know if you get a first for him, but he still has value in this league. He's one of those players where you better make sure you know what you have before you make the trade, because there's a chance that he blossoms into a much better version of what we see now. And that would hurt (the Knicks).”
If the Knicks choose to part ways with Ntilikina, they would be better off doing their due diligence and gauging the interest before underselling a player teams could easily underpay for.
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