The point guard of the future
The Pistons have shown interest in some disgruntled point guards. Last year, it was Dennis Smith Jr. before he was traded to the Knicks. This year, it’s Frank Ntilikina, the point guard that Smith Jr. took minutes from.
The Knicks seem to be impatient, for some reason, with the 21-year-old. The rumors started last year and the Pistons could get a real steal with the third-year player. His performance with the French national team in the World Cup raised some eyebrows.
But the move doesn’t come without risk. Ntilikina has been one of the NBA’s worst players in the two years he was with the Knicks. The Pistons would be betting that a change of scenery can help him. Don’t forget that he’s making close to $5 million.
The Knicks can absorb some money and could be interested in Langston Galloway‘s expiring contract, especially after what happened with Reggie Bullock, whose future is uncertain. They can get Galloway and flip him near the deadline for more assets.
The Pistons would insert Ntilikina in the rotation right away and pair him with Derrick Rose and Luke Kennard off the bench. In that role he can focus on what he does best, play defense and shoot catch & shoot threes.
However, he hasn’t proved that he can do that consistently yet. He would probably find himself fighting for minutes again, this time against Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.