New York Knicks, Frank Ntilikina Share Mutual Interest
Teams have been sending their scouts to Europe to see Frank Ntilikina play all season long. The six-foot-five guard with a seven-foot wingspan is an intriguing prospect because of his potential as a lockdown, multi-positional defender. He's exactly the type of player the New York Knicks want right now, and he is one of the players they are considering drafting with the eighth overall pick.
Well, the interest appears to be mutual.
In a phone interview with the New York Post, Ntilikina said his style of play would fit the triangle offense that team president Phil Jackson wanted the Knicks to run.
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"I watch a lot of [NBA] basketball games. The Knicks [have] a good history. The game they play — the triangle offense — is close to the game I play in France with my team. A lot of movement. I think to play over there, I would fit with them. It would be great to play for them," Ntilikina said during the interview.
As of the moment, Ntilikina can't work out for National Basketball Association (NBA) teams before the draft because his current team, Strasbourg, is playing against Élan Chalon for the LNB Pro A title in France. However, he hasn't completely ruled out attending the draft next week even if the best-of-five series goes the distance.
"The team and my agents are trying to do what's possible to make me go to the draft and come back after [for a Game 5]," Ntilikina told the New York Post.
Jackson still hasn't spoken with the French point guard, but Knicks scouts have scouted him extensively in the past few months.
The Dallas Mavericks have also shown a lot of interest in Ntilikina, and team owner Mark Cuban personally traveled to Italy to meet him last week. However, the Knicks should have the upper hand since they are drafting before the Mavericks.
