Knicks Trade Rumors: Suns, Grizzlies Have Contacted New York About Frank Ntilikina

Teams around the NBA have expressed interest in acquiring Frank Ntilikina from the New York Knicks, according to multiple reports. The Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly contacted New York about the young point guard this season.

According to The Athletic’s Mike Vurkonov, the Orlando Magic have also shown interest in Ntilikina. Before last season’s trade deadline, Frank Isola reported for The New York Daily News that the Knicks turned down the opportunity to trade Ntilikina to the Magic in a deal for Elfrid Payton.

New York took Ntilikina with the No.8 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The 20-year-old was the second-youngest player in his draft class after playing a few seasons in the EuroLeague.

Ntilikina has been in and out of the Knicks’ starting lineup this season, struggling mightily on offense. He’s averaging 5.9 points per game for a second straight year, shooting an abysmal 33.3 percent from the field. The point guard is making 25.7 percent of his threes, and he’s averaging 2.7 assists in 23.1 minutes per game.

Almost all of Ntilikina’s value comes on the defensive end, where he is an above-average player. The Belgium native has proven to be a strong on-ball defender, and New York is a better defensive team when he’s on the court. The Knicks have a 114.7 defensive rating when Ntilikina plays, and their rating jumps to 118.7 with him on the bench.

Both of New York’s top-10 draft picks from the last two years have had trouble scoring. The Knicks took Kevin Knox with the ninth pick in June’s draft, and the Kentucky product is shooting 32.5 percent from the field.