Frank Ntilikina was uncertain if he had cracked Tom Thibodeau’s 10-man rotation and whether he would play in Wednesday night’s season opener in Indiana.
Ntilikina, the Knicks’ 2017 lottery pick, missed the final two preseason games with Achilles soreness.
He’s in a dogfight for rotation minutes with the Knicks’ backcourt depth and Thibodeau announcing he will have a 10-man rotation.
“It’s going to be coach’s decision,” Ntilikina said after the Wednesday morning shootaround in Indiana. “As players we just have to be ready to jump on the court when they call us. The options we have, we have a lot of talented guards. That means a lot of options for coach.
“We’re going to be a talented team. Right now that question is more for coach to figure out what he’s going to do. My job is to be ready for each and every game.”
Monday’s deadline passed without Ntilikina, 22, getting a rookie contract extension — which was expected. Ntilikina said he never had discussions about it and he will, as previously reported, become a restricted free agent in 2021.
Hence, his future remains murky and a trade-deadline deal has to be a consideration for the Knicks if he’s not squarely in the rotation. Of course, the Knicks could add the Frenchman to a package for a star as well.
Phil Jackson and Steve Mills, who drafted Ntilikina at No. 8, are gone. In addition, Ntilikina fired his CAA agent, Leon Rose, after his rookie year. Rose is now the Knicks president.
“It is what it is,” Ntilikina said of the lack of a contract extension. “I’m more focused on the game and season. That’s what the main focus is — on and getting better every day and try to make our goals successful.”
Ntilikina and fellow point guard Dennis Smith Jr. were in danger of finding themselves left out — unless foul trouble expanded the coach’s planned rotation.
The Knicks attempted to give Smith a big look at training camp after he was on the trading block all offseason. He also did not have contract-extension talks. He looked much improved on defense but didn’t have an inkling about running the offense — which became underlined when rookie Immanuel Quickley did so with aplomb.
“We’ll probably be at 10, but the other guys I’m watching very closely,’’ Thibodeau said before the game. “I have to make sure I keep them ready. I know I’m going to need them. Whether it’s foul trouble or injury or sickness or performance. That’s why it’s so important for those guys to be engaged and put everything into each and every day. Their practices become their games. You can’t get here without being a great player so you have the capability.”
After the second preseason game in Detroit, Ntilikina started to feel Achilles discomfort.
“Something happened during the game, but the pain happened after the game,” Ntilikina said. “I’m feeling really good. We worked with the training staff and coaches to get me feeling better.”
Thibodeau has looked at Ntilikina as an off-the-ball guard in training camp — not at the point. Alec Burks and Reggie Bullock could wind up ahead of Ntilikina on the depth chart. Ntilikina averaged 15 minutes in his two preseason games and shot 37.5 percent.
