The Mavericks are expected to reach agreement on a contract with free agent point guard Frank Ntilikina, according to Marc Stein of Substack.
Ntilikina, 23, is 6-foot-4 and was selected by the Knicks with the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2017. But he fell almost entirely out of the rotation under coach Tom Thibodeau as New York made a run to the playoffs last season.
The Knicks renounced his rights in early August. He appeared in 33 games last season, averaging just just 2.7 points and 0.9 rebounds.
“The Mavericks were strongly linked to Ntilikina ahead of the 2017 draft, but he instead went to the New York Knicks at No. 8,” RealGM noted. “The Mavericks selected Dennis Smith Jr. at No. 9 and he was subsequently traded to the Knicks in 2019.”
Along with star Luka Doncic, the Mavericks also have the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson and Trey Burke at guard. Ntilikina could offer a backcourt defensive presence.
He also had been drawing interest from Italian club Virtus Bologna, per a report from BasketNews.com.
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