Frank Ntilikina Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Mudiay, Ntilikina, Bruno, Ainge

February 8th, 2018 at 10:43pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks were interested in both Emmanuel Mudiay and Elfrid Payton as minutes winded down to the trade deadline and the team ultimately decided to swing a deal for Mudiay. Both former lottery pick point guards have been disappointments but Mudiay may have been the more sensible target for the Knicks, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

While Mudiay and Payton both come with some downside, they are also both still young and possess talent. Berman quotes two executives who believe Mudiay — who is still under contract for one additional season beyond 2017/18 — is a better fit for the Knicks. The Knicks also gave up Doug McDermott, who was not in New York’s future plans, Berman notes.

In 42 games this season, Mudiay has averaged 8.5 PPG and 2.9 APG.

Check out other Knicks news below:

While adding another young point guard could be interpreted as the Knicks losing faith in Frank Ntilikina, he is not worried about the acquisition, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone writes. Ntilikina views the addition of Mudiay as a positive that will benefit both sides. We’re not competing against each other,” Ntilikina said. “We’re going to bring each other to the top to make the Knicks a competitive team. We can both play with the ball, we can both play off the ball, so it might be great for us.”
The Raptors‘ trade of Bruno Caboclo to the Kings for Malachi Richardson may not be a major deal on a blockbuster deadline day but it has salary cap implications, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Trading Caboclo sheds nearly $1MM in salary, which gives Toronto flexibility to fill its 15th roster spot without going over the tax line.
Despite numerous rumors entering the deadline, the Celtics ultimately kept Marcus Smart. Greg Monroe‘s deal with Boston also became official and the chase for Eastern Conference supremacy continues. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe spoke to general manager Danny Ainge about the deadline, Smart staying in Boston, and the team’s future — including plans to explore the buyout market.

Knicks Notes: Burke, Ntilikina, Kanter

January 27th, 2018 at 11:02am CST by marksuleymanov

After his recent G League call-up, Trey Burke has provided a spark for the Knicks which is raising questions of whether he should play more often. Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Burke, who scored 18 points for a second straight game in Friday’s win over the Suns, has impressed thus far.

In six games, Burke has averaged 9.3 PPG and 3.8 APG. With rookie Frank Ntilikina struggling and veteran Jarrett Jack also on the roster, it’s to question whether or not the former lottery pick Burke, 25, should see more playing time.

“I’m satisfied we won, but I got to be ready to play,” Burke said. “Guys are required to produce when their number is called. If you’re not locked in as you need to be, you saw some of my possession that I had. My teammates stuck with me. My coaches stuck with me, and I played through it, and we rolled with what was working.’’

Head coach Jeff Hornacek added that when Burke plays this well, “we got to find time for him.”

Check out other Knicks news below:

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News argues that while Burke is worth a long look, his opportunity should not come at the expense of the rookie Ntilikina. Isola writes that while Burke and Jack are solid players who fill a role, Ntilikina should be given the keys to the kingdom and take over as the starting point guard after the All-Star break.
Things got heated in the Knicks’ win on Friday between Enes Kanter and Suns guard Devin Booker, per ESPN. Booker was ejected after he shoved Kanter, earning his second technical foul. After the game, the issue went to Twitter with Kanter calling out Booker; teammate Jared Dudley fired back at Kanter in a series of tweets.

Knicks Notes: Burke, Hardaway, Trade Deadline

January 21st, 2018 at 9:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Trey Burke‘s performance in the two games since signing with the Knicks has given the team a “puzzle” at point guard, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Burke has exhibited instant chemistry with former college teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. and was used to close out Friday’s win in Utah.

“I can just read him on the floor anywhere, especially when he’s coming downhill,’’ Hardaway said. “Yeah, it was immediate. I kind of know his game so well. Even when I wasn’t playing with him the past couple of years, I definitely watched him in Utah, Washington. I still know what he can do on the court, and what he’s able to do both offensively and defensively. It felt like old times.”

The Knicks are giving Burke an audition to see if they want to bring him back for next season, Berman notes. The point guard position is unsettled with rookie Frank Ntilikina not ready to be a starter and veteran Jarrett Jack unlikely to return. Ramon Sessions was waived last week, and a trade with the Hornets for Kemba Walker remains a possibility.

There’s more this morning from New York:

Burke turned down a $3MM offer from China and opted to play for the Knicks’ G League affiliate, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “[Knicks GM] Scott Perry, that’s my guy,” Burke said. “He told me he was going to give me an opportunity to come [to Westchester] and start there, and if I do what I do, he’ll give me an opportunity [with the Knicks]. Now we’re here, I just got to continue to get better.”
Hardaway has boosted the Knicks’ offense in the four games since returning to the lineup and is determined to make the playoffs, relays Al Iannazzone of Newsday. After missing about six weeks with a stress injury in his left leg, Hardaway is averaging 22 points per game and shooting 52.6% from the field since he started playing again. “I feel like with our group, we have that fire and that desire and in our heart [the goal] is to make the playoffs one hundred percent,” he said. “If we don’t make the playoffs, we’re going to go home in April upset.”
Finding a point guard before next month’s trade deadline remains among the Knicks’ priorities, along with a starter at the wing and a rim protector, Iannazzone notes in a separate story. He doesn’t expect the team to get all three, but it will be active in trade talks. He adds that the Knicks want to be aggressive in the 2019 free agent market and won’t be interested in Walker if it means taking one of Charlotte’s expensive, long-term contracts.

Knicks Notes: Hardaway, Ntilikina, Smith, Kanter

January 6th, 2018 at 7:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tim Hardaway Jr. was a limited participant in practice today and is optimistic about returning during a six-game road trip that starts January 18, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Hardaway has been sidelined for five weeks by a stress reaction in his left leg, and the Knicks have fallen below .500 without him as an outside scoring threat.

“I was itching to get back for Christmas, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen,” Hardaway said. “I was itching to go home against Miami [Friday], my hometown. It was painful not to be there. I had those two games circled on the calendar.’’

Hardaway was New York’s top free agent addition of the offseason, signing a $71MM deal over four years. He was an important contributor to the team’s fast start, averaging 17.8 points over 21 games before the injury.

There’s more tonight out of New York:

Point guards Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith may be linked throughout their careers because of their proximity in the draft, but they are different types of players, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Ntilikina is a defensive standout who has struggled with his shot and ballhandling, and some scouts believe he will eventually be moved to off guard. Smith is outstanding on offense, but has shortcomings on defense. They will meet for the first time Sunday when the Mavericks host the Knicks. “That part of him being aggressive, that’s always interesting to watch,” Ntilikina said of Smith. “That’s the part I have to explore in my game. Something I can learn and take [from him], as I said he’s a great player offensively.”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is denying a New York Times report that his professed interest in Ntilikina before the draft was a ruse to get the Knicks to pass on Smith, Bondy adds in a separate story. “Not a stunt at all,” Cuban wrote in an email. “We like Frank quite a bit. If Dennis had been selected there was a very good chance we would have taken Frank.” Smith had an awkward pre-draft meeting with the Knicks, Bondy recalls, and he refused to hold an individual workout or share his medical records with the team.
After a few months in New York, Enes Kanter feels like he wants to retire as a Knick, relays Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Kanter has excelled since being acquired from the Thunder in the Carmelo Anthony trade, but he has an $18.4MM player option that could determine his future with the team. He said he hasn’t decided if he will exercise it.

Atlantic Notes: Ntilikina, LeVert, Saric, Bayless

January 3rd, 2018 at 9:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks lottery pick Frank Ntilikina has played 20 or more minutes in 13 of the last 15 games, as coach Jeff Hornacek continues to gain trust in the French point guard, Roger Rubin of Newsday writes. Ntilikina had a 9-point, 11-assist outing late last month against the Spurs. He’s not posting big numbers like some other rookie guards around the league but the Knicks are pleased with hiss progress. “I think I’m making a step moving forward. The coach gives me more trust, more minutes,” Ntilikina told Rubin and other media members. “I think I’m getting more comfortable on the court. He sees that. I think I can help more than I was doing before. I just have to keep going, keep working on it.”

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

Swingman Caris LeVert is justifying the Nets’ 2016 draft-night trade to snag him with No. 20 pick, according to Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.com. Brooklyn dealt veteran forward Thaddeus Young to the Pacers for LeVert, even though he underwent three foot surgeries during his collegiate career at Michigan. Last month, LeVert averaged 14.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.2 SPG in 28 MPG. “He’s been coming in with that second unit and he’s really been our spark right now and doing a great job,” coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Forward Dario Saric can step into a starring role if needed, as he showed during the final three games of the Sixers’ recent road trip, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. He averaged 24 PPG and 7.3 RPG while making two-thirds of his 3-point tries. “I need to stay focused and believing in myself, believing in what I’m doing on the court,” Saric told Pompey.
Sixers coach Brett Brown considers guard Jerryd Bayless as the team’s hardest worker, as he relayed to Brian Seltzer of the team’s website. “His day starts when mine does. You go in at like 6:00 a.m., 6:30, and shortly thereafter you hear the tom toms, and he’s in a gym with a ball. That could be after a game,” Brown said. “He’s just a maniacal worker. … When he doesn’t perform like he wants to perform, he doesn’t shoot like he wants to shoot, he wakes up early and tries to fix it quick.”

Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Porzingis, Noah, Hardaway

December 31st, 2017 at 1:45pm CST by marksuleymanov

On the heels of two strong performances, Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek wants to find more minutes for rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone writes. Veteran Jarrett Jack remains the starter with Ntilikina taking over late in games but the team does not want to push him too hard early in his career.

“We’re trying to get him some more minutes,” Hornacek said. “It makes it difficult late in games if he’s going well, he ends up playing a lot of minutes. Maybe we need to give him a break here and there.”

Ntilikina, 19, has averaged 6.0 PPG and 3.5 APG for the Knicks in 33 games while flashing his defensive capabilities. The Knicks took a risk drafting Ntilikina out of France with the eighth overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The organization envisions him as the eventual full-time point guard. For now, the team will be cautious with his workload. “Not yet,” Hornacek said about giving Ntilikina more minutes. “That’s something we’ll continue to look at it, but for now, no.”

Check out other Knicks news below:

Kristaps Porzingis‘ frustration with his recent shooting struggles has spilled over into the referees’ officiating, Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. Porzingis voiced his concern with a lack of called fouls on his shots and described his trick to avoid receiving technical fouls. “When something like that happens, I look at the ref,’’ Porzingis said. “If I say something I try to delete it and sprint back. When I’m sprinting back, I’m already not thinking about it. That’s how I cut it off at that moment.’’ Porzingis is still averaging a career-best 24.5 PPG but his field goal percentage has dipped to .446%.
Joakim Noah received some rare playing time in the Knicks’ win over the Pelicans on Saturday and was appreciative of the minutes, Berman writes in a separate story. While Noah logged just four points and rebounds in 12 minutes, it was a good way to end a road trip that started with a DNP against his former team, the Bulls, in Chicago.
It’s no coincidence that a lot of the Knicks’ struggles with winning and scoring started once Tim Hardaway Jr. went down with a phantom stress injury in his left leg, several teammates told Berman of the New York Post. Hardaway was a steady presence, averaging a career-best 17.8 PPG in 21 games. The team continues to hope their starting guard is back sometime in January.

Knicks Notes: Kanter, Hernangomez, Ntilikina, Holiday

December 28th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Enes Kanter isn’t sure if he will opt in for the final year of his contract, as he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. It was generally assumed that Kanter would not leave $18.4MM on the table but he’s having such a strong season, it’s no longer a given. “It’s always on your mind,” Kanter told Bondy. “But the season is going really well right now. It’s just a contract. I think people worry about it too much and it gets into their head.” If he opts in, the Knicks will head into next summer with virtually no cap space, Bondy notes. If he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the Knicks will try to re-sign him or pursue an athletic wing defender, Bondy adds.

In other developments concerning the Knicks:

Backup center Willy Hernangomez has not played in 10 of the last 11 games and he anticipates that something will be done about the logjam at the position, as he relayed to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I want to play,” he said. “I really want to be here. I love New York. KP (Kristaps Porzingis) is here. But I want to play.” League sources informed Berman that Hernangomez still has trade value but the situation could sort itself out in a different way. Berman speculates that the club will ramp up its efforts to deal Kyle O’Quinn if it nosedives in January.
The team’s matchup against the Spurs on Thursday will have special meaning to rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina, Berman writes in a separate piece. He idolizes longtime San Antonio point guard Tony Parker. “I’m playing against the best French player in history,’’ Ntilikina revealed to the media. “It will be a challenge playing against him. I never met him but talked to him a bit [after the draft] about the transition and defense in the NBA, a little bit about everything.’’
Bulls swingman Justin Holiday believes the Knicks would have taken him back if he had waited longer in free agency last summer, according to another Bondy story. Holiday’s former agent pushed hard for a substantial offer from the Knicks and even tried to make it a package deal with his brother, Jrue Holiday, a source told Bondy. New York wound up signing Tim Hardaway Jr. “It’s not like I hate the Knicks now,” Justin told Bondy. “I mean, I honestly believe if I waited something would’ve happened. But at the same time you never know.”

Atlantic Notes: LeVert, Holmes, Hayward

December 14th, 2017 at 10:06am CST by Austin Kent

The Nets have been pleased with the progress they’ve seen out of 23-year-old sophomore Caris LeVert. As Alex Squadron of the New York Post writes, the second-year swingman has begun to show what he’s capable of as a playmaker.

“He’s come a long way,” Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think we had high expectations for him. We kind of knew right off the bat he was going to be pretty good. I’m glad that the high expectations we had — it’s starting to show. It’s starting to come to light that he’s a pretty good player.”

The Nets have relied on LeVert to handle some playmaking duties, something he did during his time in college. Over the course of the past four games, LeVert has averaged 16.5 points and 7.3 assists per game.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Third-year Sixers big man Richaun Holmes has made the most of an increase in playing time of late. The reserve can shift between the four and the five and provide offense off the bench. “It’s just a matter of the playing time, the opportunity,” Holmes told Keith Pompey of The Inquirer. “I know what I can do on the court.“
Despite the fact that he hasn’t even turned 20 years old, Frank Ntilikina is beginning to show that he could lead an NBA offense, perhaps sooner than later. As Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes, the Knicks rookie continues to develop in a variety of ways as the season progresses.
Although there remains no timetable for his return, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has been given the green light to remove his walking boot. “I feel alright I guess, as well as I could,” Hayward told the media, including A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “I’m out of the boot right now so that’s good, slowly getting better.“

New York Notes: Knicks, Ntilikina, Nets, Stauskas

December 13th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Lakers playing the Knicks on Tuesday, Luke Walton was asked about his old coach, Phil Jackson, and admitted that Jackson’s ouster in New York didn’t sit particularly well with him, per Al Iannazzone of Newsday.

“I don’t know all the details of what was going on here, obviously, but a mentor to me like that and someone that means as much to me as Phil does, I’m not in favor of it happening,” the current Lakers head coach said of Jackson. “There’s people out here that I wanted to see succeed. I love the triangle offense. I wanted to see that work. But for whatever reasons it didn’t.”

Here’s more out of New York:

Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina are showing Knicks fans that it’s okay to be optimistic about the club’s future, says ESPN’s Ian Begley. In praising Ntilikina, Begley notes that the rookie point guard is “low maintenance,” adding that there were some in the Knicks organization who had serious concerns before the draft about LaVar Ball’s impact in the event that the team had a chance to pick Lonzo Ball.
Sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the Nets‘ deal to have Joseph Tsai buy a 49% stake in the franchise could be done by the end of the month. Although it’s not finalized yet, controlling owner Mikhail Prokhorov referred to Tsai as “a great partner” who “will help the game and help the NBA.”
While Jahlil Okafor was the primary piece in last week’s trade between the Nets and the Sixers, the deal also gave Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson another reclamation project to work on. As Lewis writes for The Post, it will be interesting to see what Atkinson – who has a reputation as a “guard whisperer” – can get out of Nik Stauskas.

Atlantic Notes: Ntilikina, Stauskas, Nets, Hayward, Fultz

December 9th, 2017 at 10:45am CST by marksuleymanov

After a surprisingly strong start to the season, Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina has seen his production waver in recent weeks. While scoring is not the 19-year-old’s calling card yet, his strong defense has slipped as well as he’s averaging nearly one less steal over the team’s past eight games (1.4) than he did through the first 12 (2.1).

Howie Kussoy of the New York Post writes that the rookie Frenchman is currently in a position where he is not always confident of what his role is. Head coach Jeff Hornacek acknowledged that Ntilikina is sometimes caught in between trying to be aggressive with the ball as a scorer and trying to be a playmaker.

“One of the things early was he was just looking to pass. Then we’ve tried to talk to him about being a little more aggressive, and trying to really move the ball downhill on these guys, and then I think he was maybe thinking shoot it and score,” Hornacek said. “I thought last game, the practice before that, he’s done a nice job of balancing that. Sometimes he’ll attack. Sometimes he’s looking to pass. As a young person in this league you’re trying to figure that out, ‘When are my opportunities to really attack? When is it just to make a pass?’

Through 21 games, Ntilikina is averaging 5.2 PPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.3 SPG.

Check out other news around the Atlantic Division:

When the Nets acquired Jahlil Okafor from the Sixers earlier this week, Nik Stauskas — who the Nets also acquired in the deal — flew under the radar. Stauskas had fallen out Philadelphia’s rotation and played in just six games this season. As Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily writes, Stauskas provides the Nets with a low-risk, high-reward option who has had some good stretches in the NBA.
After New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio questioned the Nets’ success as a franchise after moving to Brooklyn in 2012, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the team has exceeded expectations, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
Celtics president Danny Ainge confirmed that Gordon Hayward — who suffered a season-ending ankle injury on opening night — will soon ditch his walking boot as he continues to rehab, Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes. For his part, Ainge believes Hayward ” wants to come faster than anybody has from this kind of injury” (Via NBC Sports Boston).
Sixers president Bryan Colangelo provided an update on 19-year-old Markelle Fultz, noting that the muscle imbalance in his right shoulder has progressed well. “Surface level, I would say that he’s progressing well,” Colangelo said (via Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “He continues to focus on the PT and strength and conditioning aspect of the return. The good news is the soreness is completely gone and the muscle imbalance is gone.” Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes that Philadelphia will have a hard time fitting Fultz into the rotation once he returns.