Raj Mehta – USA TODAY Sports
After surviving so many deadlines and so many summers, the New York adventure comes to an end for Frank Ntilikina in New York. The Knicks acted on the decision today, leaving the Frenchman in the dark about his future.
The mayonnaise will therefore definitely never have taken. Arrived with great fanfare in New York with the 8th choice of the 2017 Draft, ahead of names like Donovan Mitchell or Bam Adebayo, Frank Ntilikina has never managed to take off with the Knicks. Everything is not his fault, far from it, but the observation is relentless after four sluggish years.
It is therefore no great surprise that the Big Apple franchise, which had not already activated the “French Prince” option a few days ago, has just released its free agent rights. last link that existed between the two camps. Keith Smith announced it:
The New York Knicks have renounced the free agent rights to Frank Ntilikina.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 11, 2021
The New York Knicks have waived Frank Ntilikina’s free agent rights.
Of course, the Knicks can still technically re-sign the Frenchman, but everyone understands that the Ntilikina era is over in New York. And unfortunately, it is clear that this is one of the biggest recent failures on a Draft pick top 10.
It remains to be seen where Frankie Smokes will be able to bounce back. Many NBA teams still have vacancies in their roster, and the French leader could find his place on the bench of a team looking for defense on the back line.
Another avenue, which must obviously be considered, is that of a return to Europe. At only 23 years old, Ntilikina would have the assurance of regaining an important playing time, probably of flourishing more, before, why not, returning to the North American league. It is for example what Nico Mannion will try, which is in an admittedly different situation.
The adventure is over for Frank Ntilikina in New York. After 4 years of stagnation, the situation is inevitably bitter. It remains to be seen where the player will be able to revive – in the NBA or elsewhere …
