Frank Ntilikina is on Golden State Warriors’ radar

The New York Knicks are a team that is looking to be aggressive come draft night, which could send Frank Ntilikina to the Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors are in a great position as a franchise with three All-Stars returning from injury (Steph, Klay & Draymond), a former #1 overall pick ready for a breakout season on the wing in Andrew Wiggins and key contributors such as  Eric Paschall, Kevon Looney and second-year guard Jordan Poole, determined as ever.

With the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Warriors can be aggressive and either take a top talent to add to their depth, or use this pick to their advantage and trade down to acquire more future assets.

Jonathan Wasserman, the Lead NBA Draft writer for Bleacher Report, believes the Warriors will look to move down from the No. 2 overall pick with the New York Knicks as potential suitors. In his latest 2020 NBA Mock Draft, Wasserman believes the Knicks will trade up for LaMelo Ball, giving the Golden State Warriors Frank Ntilikina, picks No. 8 and 27 in the 2020 NBA Draft and the Dallas Mavericks 2021 first-round pick owned by the New York Knicks (via the Kristaps Porzingis trade).

As much Warriors fans may want their organization to keep the pick and draft one of the big-name prospects still on the board, it may not be a bad idea to accept this trade offer if the Knicks call it in.

Think about it: Frank Ntilikina is only 22 years old and has shown flashes of his athletic abilities and potential on the court with the Knicks, but with their abundance of guards in their organization, Ntilikina kept getting bumped down in the depth chart.

In the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Frank Ntilikina averaged about 20 minutes/game for Team France. In 8 games, he averaged: 8.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.5 APG. The best thing about Ntilikina is that he has the makings of a great backup point guard not only in the Warriors’ offensive system but their defense as well.

He possesses a 7-foot wingspan as a point-guard and with a quick first-step, could be a factor in the Warriors’ second rotation. Being on the court with the veteran All-Stars that the Warriors have could be extremely beneficial to the growth of Frank Ntilikina and be a diamond in the rough for the Warriors long-term.

Aside from acquiring Frank Ntilikina in this potential trade, the Warriors would also acquire the 8th and 27th picks in this year’s draft. Whether they would keep these picks or move them in a package deal along with their 17.8M trade exception from the Andre Iguodala trade to Memphis is unknown, but again, it gives the Warriors plenty of options to think about and plenty of scenarios to play around with leading up to the draft.

Hypothetically, the best-case scenario, if the Warriors hold onto these picks after the trade mentioned above, would be to then take either Devin Vassell from Florida State or Isaac Okoro from Auburn.

Both prospects have been rumored to be potential picks by the Warriors and are two perimeter wings who not only would provide defensive depth but plenty of offensive potential in a system where shooters can thrive.

What the Warriors plan on doing with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is a situation to monitor moving forward. If this trade is an option for the Warriors come draft night, it could really benefit the organization’s growth long-term and help them continue to be championship contenders in the short-term.