Frank Ntilikina Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Pinson, Knicks, Ntilikina, Jeanne

May 3rd, 2017 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

UNC forward Theo Pinson, who had been testing the draft waters, will return to North Carolina for his senior season, the school announced today in a press release.

“It was a dream of mine to play college basketball at the best school and in the best league in the country, and it is a dream of mine to play in the NBA as well,” Pinson said in a statement. “The best path for me to reach the league and have a long career there is to have a great senior season and I am so excited to have that opportunity to play another year for Coach Williams and finish my degree as well.”

Here are a few more draft-related odds and ends, including more news on players withdrawing their names:

The Knicks are currently projected to pick seventh overall, meaning top point guards like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Dennis Smith Jr., and De’Aaron Fox may be off the board. However, the Knicks like French point guard Frank Ntilikina and would consider him at No. 7, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports that GM Steve Mills is overseas scouting the 18-year-old this week. Berman also notes that Ntilikina is among the many top prospects who will miss this year’s draft combine.
Jonathan Jeanne, a 7’2″ center from France, has been invited to the NBA’s draft combine and has tentatively accepted, despite his season not being over, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. Jeanne, who is the No. 36 prospect on DraftExpress’ big board, is an international early entrant, so he’d have the option of withdrawing his name if he doesn’t get great feedback at the combine in Chicago.
Randy Onwuasor, a Southern Utah shooting guard, has elected to take his name out of the draft and will return to school for his senior year, coach Todd Simon tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Valparaiso junior Tevonn Walker will also be heading back to school for another year, according to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports, who reports that Walker is withdrawing his name after testing the draft waters. The 6’2″ guard wasn’t expected to be selected if he’d stayed in the draft.

Frank Ntilikina Enters 2017 NBA Draft

April 24th, 2017 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

French point guard Frank Ntilikina has formally filed his paperwork to enter the 2017 NBA draft, his agency CAA Sports confirms to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link). The move had long been expected, and now it’s official.

Ntilikina, who has been playing for Strasbourg in France, is considered a probable lottery pick by most draft experts, who generally rank him in the tier of point guards below top options like Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. Both Givony and Chad Ford of ESPN.com currently have the 18-year-old at No. 10 on their respective big boards.

According to Ford, who praises the Frenchman’s speed, passing ability, toughness, and shooting ability, Ntilikina has the upside to be a top-five pick in a draft class less stacked with top point guards. In this year’s draft, Ntilikina will likely come off the board at some point after Fultz, Ball, Dennis Smith Jr., and De’Aaron Fox are selected.

Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Rose, Draft Targets

March 21st, 2017 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The triangle offense continues to be a source of tension in New York, with sources suggesting to Ian Begley of ESPN.com that the Knicks’ return to the triangle is one reason some veteran players have started to lose faith in head coach Jeff Hornacek recently. Despite Hornacek’s recent insistence that the triangle could hold some appeal to free agents, there’s concern in some corners of the organization that it could do the opposite, driving free agents away from the Knicks, Begley reports.

As Begley outlines, some Knicks players feel that the triangle is too easy for opposing teams to defend, with opposing players suggesting that they can predict where players will be on the court. Pacers point guard Jeff Teague alluded to this recently, telling Marc Berman of The New York Post that a player like Derrick Rose is easier to contain when he’s playing in the triangle.

According to Begley, there’s also some concern that if Knicks president Phil Jackson leaves the team in two or three years, there would be no guarantee that the team’s new president would insist on the same system. That could complicate the development of young players like Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez, who would then have to learn a new offense after getting accustomed to the triangle.

Begley has several more Knicks-related items of interest to pass along, so let’s round up some of the highlights…

After shopping Carmelo Anthony a little earlier this year, the Knicks “remain committed” to moving him this summer, per Begley. Anthony will still control his future, so he’d have to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate a deal. However, sources tell Begley that some members of the Clippers organization expressed confidence last month that they could acquire Carmelo in the offseason.
Although the Knicks appeared at the trade deadline to be souring on the idea of keeping Derrick Rose long-term, the club hasn’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing him, says Begley. Some members of the organization view Jrue Holiday and Jeff Teague as potential free agent targets as well, as New York searches for an answer at point guard.
The Knicks will almost certainly have a top-10 pick in this year’s draft, and according to Begley, they’ve been eyeing players such as French guard Frank Ntilikina and Kentucky sharpshooter Malik Monk.
Team owner James Dolan publicly stated earlier in the year that he intends to exercise the Knicks’ half of the mutual option on Phil Jackson‘s contract this summer. Still, sources tell Begley that some people around Dolan have been urging him to consider making a change.

Knicks Notes: Point Guard Search, Rose, Thomas

March 3rd, 2017 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will have a hard time finding their next point guard either through the draft or free agency, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. With Derrick Rose unlikely to return next season, getting a replacement will be an offseason priority. However, Kerber notes that New York’s draft pick won’t be high enough to snag one of the elite point guards available, and the top free agents are likely to stay where they are.

The Knicks are currently in a three-way tie for eighth in our latest Reverse Standings, giving them just a remote shot at a top two pick that will probably be necessary to draft Washington’s Markelle Fultz or UCLA’s Lonzo Ball. That leaves lower-tier options such as De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky or international standout Frank Ntilikina.

The problem is similar in free agency, where the Knicks will have about $25MM to spend, but the best available players — Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and George Hill — are all expected to remain with their current teams. Kerber says the Knicks might target Jrue Holiday or Jeff Teague, but the Pelicans and Pacers with both have Bird rights and the advantages of being able to offer more money and more years.

There’s more this morning from New York:

Rose is optimistic about reaching the playoffs despite the Knicks’ 25-36 record, and says he plans to unleash his 3-point shot in the postseason, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’m trying to put pieces of my game together,” Rose said. “I’m not shooting 3s yet. Hopefully I’ll start shooting them in the playoffs. It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice and dedication to get there. I’m just adding pieces to my game throughout the season.”
One positive for Rose this season has been his health, Berman notes in the same piece. Rose has appeared in 52 of the team’s 61 games, and if he plays 15 more it will be the most in a season since his ACL tear in 2012. “Two times, three times a day, the entire summer,” Rose said of his offseason workout schedule. “I worked on my game and body. That’s one of the reasons my body is holding up.”
The Knicks’ defense has improved significantly since Lance Thomas returned six games ago, Berman writes in a separate story. Thomas missed about a month after taking an elbow to the face in a January game and breaking the orbital bone. The time off also allowed Thomas to overcome plantar fasciitis that had been affecting him since training camp.

Mavericks Notes: Bogut, Draft, Singh

February 16th, 2017 at 4:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Trade speculation has surrounded Andrew Bogut, but the big man doesn’t believe he will be traded before next week’s trade deadline, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. “That’s not a question for me to answer,” he said when asked if he thinks he’ll remain with the Mavs all season. “But I don’t think anything’s going to happen.”

Here’s more from Dallas:

Denver was able to land a quality center in exchange for a Jusuf Nurkic and a future first-round pick. Sefko believes (separate piece) that the Mavs should be able to land an even better haul for Bogut and one of their picks.
The Mavs will likely be looking for a point guard in the upcoming draft and the Dallas Morning News takes a look at Frank Ntilikina’s game. Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks Ntilikina 11th among the prospects eligible for the 2017 draft.
Satnam Singh, who the Mavs selected with No. 52 overall pick in the 2015 draft, is trying to make it as a wrestler in the WWE, Sefko writes in a separate piece. Singh never got an opportunity to play for the NBA club, but he spent parts of the past two seasons with the team’s D-League affiliate.

Maverick Notes: Draft, Ntilikina, Matthews

January 28th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavericks currently own the fourth spot in our Reverse Standings, meaning if the season ended today, they would have an 11.2% chance at the No. 1 overall pick. Chad Ford of ESPN.com believes there’s a good chance the team opts to take a point guard with its first round selection. If the franchise ends up picking in the 6-10 range, a source tells Ford that the Mavs are very high on France’s Frank Ntilikina. The scribe hears that Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are the only point guards higher than Ntilikina on their board.

Here’s more from Dallas:

The Mavs haven’t been successful in the draft in quite some time due to the team trading away first-round picks in foolish deals, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News writes. Cowlishaw adds that the team hasn’t nailed many of the picks it hasn’t dealt away but he believes this year will be different because of the talent at the top of the draft.
The Mavs should deal Wes Matthews if the price is right, Cowlishaw contends. The scribe also argues that the team should trade Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut for whatever it can get back in return.
Bogut reiterated that he’s not looking to be traded as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News relays. “My agent said [a trade] probably [is] not going to happen, but I’m not the right guy to ask,” Bogut said. “The only thing I can tell you is I’m not banging on [Mark] Cuban’s door or Donnie’s [Nelson] door asking for a trade, contrary to what was [written] last month.”
Coach Rick Carlisle is pleased with Bogut’s game lately, as Sefko passes along in the same piece. “I really like the way he’s played the last two nights,” Carlisle said. “He’s a big positive when he’s in the game because of his impact defensively, and he’s doing some good things on offense. All in all, I’m very pleased with where he is right now.”