Knicks Daily Roundup 4/16: David Blatt Gone, Frank's Future, Killian Hayes's Ceiling, and More

-The first shoe has dropped in the Knicks new front office. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that David Blatt will not be back with New York to be a part of Leon Rose's administration. Blatt's contract as a consultant was set to expire at the end of the 2019-2020 season, so this isn't a firing, but it is a sign that Rose may want to start fresh and move on from the past regime. It's hard to say what this means for current general manager Scott Perry, but more moves are on undoubtedly the horizon.

-At the end of last season, it seemed like the Knicks had their hearts set on moving Frank Ntilikina. The French Prince had an injury-riddled second year and struggled proving his worth on offense. Fast forward to now, and things may be different.

SNY's Ian Begley tweeted out a video discussing the likelihood of Frank being on the roster at the start of next season. While he issued no guarantee, Begley said the Knicks would be less likely to try and trade the young point guard. Ntilikina still has a long way to go to solidify his place in the league, but he clearly made improvements in 2019-2020. He shot a career best on both two-pointers and three-pointers while playing his usual stellar defense. The Knicks looked noticeably more cohesive when Ntilikina was on the floor. Begley reiterated that almost no one on the team is off-limits, but Frank fans can rest a bit easier.

-The chances of the NBA season resuming gets smaller by the day. Don't tell Mike Miller that. The Knicks head coach has worked with his staff to do whatever he can to keep the team ready. Berman wrote about what Miller has been doing and how the coaching staff has been in contact with the players on "almost a daily basis." It's an admirable effort by the coach, who knows his future with the team is up in the air. Rose may have other ideas for who captains the Knicks next season, but what Miller has done should give him some consideration at the very least.

-Yesterday's roundup announced a new Knicks SI NBA 2K tournament. This time, the goal is to make the worst Knicks team possible. As our own Jonathan Macri said, "The jokes write themselves." Read about Macri's team, led by none other than Chris Dudley. Kevin Knox may still have potential, but he made it on Macri's squad as well.

-The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor is one of the most respected sports writers who extensively covers both the NBA and the draft. He may not always agree with other analysts or mock drafts, but O'Connor's bold opinions generally fall in line with the modern NBA when others may be skeptics. A Knicks franchise that has been stuck in the mud for two decades may benefit from being open to forward-thinking ideas.

O'Connor released his top 30 big board, which had several unique rankings, none more shocking than having Killian Hayes as his top prospect. O'Connor wrote an article defending his take, explaining how Hayes had all of the tools (shooting, playmaking, defensive potential) that one needs to succeed in the modern NBA. O'Connor feels it's possible the French point guard is still available if the Knicks remain at the sixth pick.

Memphis's James Wiseman has been hyped as a top prospect, but O'Connor wasn't afraid to put the big man behind 3-and-D wing Devin Vassell from Florida St. due to the positional value of each player. He's not shy to to slot "sleepers" like Stanford's Tyrell Terry, Vanderbilt's Aaron Nesmith, Alabama's Kira Lewis Jr., and Villanova's Saddiq Bey, higher than others would because he trusts their skillset. While O'Connor doesn't have the same job pressure as an NBA general manager, his big board is worth paying attention to, both for front offices and Knicks fans who root for a team with three picks in the top 38.

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