NBA Draft rumors: Frank Ntilikina prefers to play for Mavericks over Knicks
By Trey Daubert
French point guard prospect Frank Ntilikina reportedly prefers to be drafted by the Mavericks instead of the Knicks.
The Knicks smear campaign continues, this time by potential draft prospect Frank Ntilikina. Both the Knicks and Mavericks appear to be in the market to add a point guard prospect in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, the Knicks are slotted one pick ahead of Dallas, holding the eighth overall pick. Frank Ntilikina nevertheless would rather the Knicks pass on him so he can land in Dallas.
Chad Ford of ESPN had the report on the latest draft chatter:
Knicks have strong interest in Ntilikina too. Mavs have done a better job recruiting and building relationships. He wants to be in Dallas
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) June 19, 2017
Ford also added that Dallas has made a wise move within the coaching ranks as well. The Mavs have pushed their chips in the center of the table in an all-in effort to attract Ntilikina. Dallas will hire Ntilikina’s former Strasbourg coach Vincent Collet for their Summer League team.
Frank Ntilikina's coach at Strasbourg, Vincent Collet, will coach with the Mavs Orlando Summer League team - Dallas all in on Ntilikina
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) June 19, 2017
The move to hire Collet is a wise one to make Ntilikina’s transition to the NBA seem easier. The French point guard prospect is far from a finished product as he averaged 5.2 points and 1.4 assists per game in Europe this past season. Ntilikina appears to be battling for draft positioning with three other elite point guards including De’Aaron Fox and Dennis Smith Jr.
For the Mavericks, the need at point guard appears to be an obvious one. Seth Curry, J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, and Yogi Ferrell are the incumbent options on the roster. Dallas does allegedly also appear to have an interest in Jrue Holliday but would save money by just drafting Ntilikina instead. Dallas could also opt for prospective Dirk Nowitzki pupil Lauri Markkanen instead, if Ntilikina is off the board.
Next: 2017 NBA Mock Draft: The best choice each team can make
The Knicks poor reputation takes yet another blow. Malik Monk was also critical of the Knicks as he claimed his workout only featured triangle techniques. The dysfunction within the Kristaps Porzingis relationship may have also played a factor in Ntilikina’s decision to go public about his desires to play in Dallas instead. The Knicks may pull the trigger on the Ntilikina selection anyway as they appear to be infatuated with him.