Boston Celtics: 3 alternative FA point guard options not named Dennis Schroder

Boston Celtics free-agent target not named Dennis Schroder #3: Frank Ntilikina

When it comes to having the respect of the Jays already, Frank Ntilikina had to have earned it when he helped Team France knock off Team USA back in 2019 during the FIBA World Championship games in China.

That Team USA squad had several Celtics on the team, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and the recently departed Kemba Walker, and referred to themselves as “Team Shamrock”. 

Perhaps the failures of that team got the Walker era in Boston off to a bad start and they never recovered, especially after all of the struggles Walker had even staying in the lineup.

Ntilikina is the polar opposite of Walker and was part of the French Olympic team that just earned a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Japan. He’s yet to develop as a true offensive threat, but he and Smart in the same backcourt is a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Given his inability to ever find more time on the floor for Jeff Hornacek’s Knicks, David Fizdale’s Knicks, or Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks, Ntilikina could probably be had for cheap. If he’s willing to take a minimum deal, locking him up for multiple years could be smart considering the minimal cap hit.

Ntilikina represents the stealthiest value on the free-agent market at this point, and signing him at a fraction of the cost of Dennis Schroder would be a huge win in Brad Stevens’ first offseason leading the front office.