Frank Ntilikina, Knicks Agree to Rookie Contract

The New York Knicks and No. 8 overall pick Frank Ntilikina agreed to terms on a four-year rookie contract, the team announced on Wednesday.

Ntilikina, 18, remains something of an unfinished product, but his athletic upside is worth salivating over as he transitions to life with the Knicks. 

A 6'5'' floor general with a hawking 7'0'' wingspan, according to DraftExpress, Ntilikina fits the mold of a modern-day point guard who can guard 1-3 and pass over smaller defenders. 

That said, his offensive arsenal needs polishing after he averaged 19.1 minutes per game across all competitions with Strasbourg IG in the French Pro A League last season, per RealGM. 

Because Ntilikina is still a work in progress, the Knicks plan to bring him along slowly. According to the New York Post's Marc Berman, "Knicks don’t think Ntilikina is ready to start."

"I’ve yet to see Frank play," head coach Jeff Hornacek said, per Berman. "You don’t want to throw him out there to the wolves. Maybe he’s a guy who can handle it. I don’t know. I’m not sure the direct plan. Whether we’re rolling with some of the young guys. We got a pretty good young nucleus to build with."

The acclimation process has proved to be a slow one since Ntilikina was drafted, though, because he's been sidelined by a sore knee during summer league play. 

But once Ntilikina is healthy and can adjust to the tempo and tactics of the pro game, he should evolve into a solid pick-and-roll partner for Kristaps Porzingis as the Knicks continue to retool their roster with an eye on the future.