Cavs: What suggested trade target Frank Ntilikina could provide

Maybe the Cavs could bring back Ntilikina via team-friendly deal, too?

Secondly, while Ntilikina is set to make $6.1 million this season, and could be a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason, there’s assuredly little chance a club would extend him an $8.3 million qualifying offer. That’s not happening, quite honestly.

Ntilikina has again, a ways to go offensively, is a lifetime 31.6 percent three-point shooter, and has not been regularly playing rotational minutes with the Knicks this season. He could be a solid defensive backup point guard, though, and has had a respectable 5.1 assists per-36 minutes in his career with the Knicks, while displaying some pull-up shooting growth last season.

Anyway, while the Cavs will look to lock up Jarrett Allen this upcoming offseason, potentially via matching a restricted offer sheet, and Cleveland could reportedly look to sign Collin Sexton to a significant contract extension, I could foresee Ntilikina being re-signed on the cheap.

I wouldn’t imagine a team-friendly, and perhaps even similar deal to Damyean Dotson’s of two years, and $4 million, with the second year non-guaranteed, as being out of the question, frankly.

Also considering that Matthew Dellavedova hasn’t played yet this season due to a serious concussion/symptoms with his concussion history, albeit could seemingly be with him getting back into working out individually, it’d seem to be a very high possibility Delly’s not back next season.

Moreover, Ntilikina, who is still only 22, might be a meaningful rotational contributor to bring back, if they were to acquire him via trade from New York as part of a return for Drummond and Ntilikina looked to be an impact rotational defender. He could be a competent backup point guard, too, which could possible benefit from a change of scenery, anyhow.

We’ll of course have to see if the Knicks and Cavs will end up executing a Drummond trade, though, but if they were to, Ntilikina could be a sneaky part of a return for him.

And the aforementioned suggested trade by Dammarell would be fine financially, as New York has $15 million in cap space.