Just a silver medalist at the Tokyo Games with France, point guard Frank Ntilikina joins Luka Dončić’s Dallas Mavericks, who already wanted him during his draft in 2017. It is now official and the former Strasbourg player is packing his bags in Texas for minimum wage.
Ntilikina will continue her career in the NBA in Dallas. Present at the Élysée Palace to be knighted in the National Order of Merit this Monday, Frank Ntilikina’s wonderful week (23 years old) continues. The former Knicks point guard, not retained by New York, joins the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent and under the minimum wage. The always well-informed insider Marc Stein had announced it in the middle of the week on Twitter. Dallas formalized the arrival of the former Strasbourg resident on Thursday in a press release. While it was announced for a while in Italy on the side of Bologna, the native of Ixelles therefore remains in the United States, he who had been drafted in eighth position by the Knicks in 2017. He was also at the time already desired by the Mavs, who had obtained the ninth pick in the draft, but had seen the Frenchy slip away under their noses.
The Dallas Mavericks have signed Frank Ntilikina.
After four seasons with the Knicks, Ntilikina holds career averages of 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists in 211 games (55 starts).
The Mavericks roster now stands at 20 players. pic.twitter.com/eVQ2MjUF3i
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) September 17, 2021
Competition will be tough for Ntilikina
“The French Prince” therefore sets his bags alongside the new league superstar Luka Dončić, whom he also eliminated with the Blues this summer in the semifinals of the Olympic Games. The Slovenian, who is currently on the cover of a famous basketball video game, now wants to take his team as far as possible in the play-offs. The French, silver medalist at the Tokyo Games, will face stiff competition for the position of leader, since if Luka Dončić is the titular point guard, behind, other players will fight to have precious minutes as replacements. It will therefore be played between Jalen Brunson, Trey Burke and Frank Ntilikina. The Texas franchise will have to make a choice and it could sacrifice Trey Burke. The former Strasbourg player will bring his defensive qualities (he has the reputation of being the player who defends the best on … Doncic) and his shooting skills (5.5 points on average during the last four seasons), to a franchise that will not complain of being able to count on an additional asset in defense in its quest for the title.
