One thing that may be worth spending a pick on (depending on what NYK's ideas about Frank are:
http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y9n89xnf
http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=y9n89xnf
Shabazz + Mo + Protected 1st
for
Ntilikina, Hernangomez, O'quinn.
We know NYK likes Moe, and they may be inclined to grab Shabazz vice Frank. Maybe not. Hernangomez is playing about as much as Vonleh is. O'Quinn is filler for this year and next, but it does the following:
We take a hit at backup PG as Shabazz is more polished and better shooter/scorer. Frank is a 6'5 PG with a 2-1 A/TO and 1 spg as a 19y/o.
We drop below the lux tax for this season (12.5M going out, 9.1M coming back)
We keep a backup PG on a rookie contract for the next 3 years of control at below a taxpayer MLE...I think Shabazz gets more than that
We drop 2M in 2018-19 Salary (more if you were going to pay Shabazz) and 5M in 2019-20 salary, while not hurting our core.
If something like this was on the table, it would be worth spending a pick on, as we pick up 2 cost-controlled players and some salary relief. Which makes me think it won't have a chance of happening. But this would be the template.