Entering his fourth NBA season, the final on his rookie-scale deal, Immanuel Quickley is eligible to sign a contract extension with the New York Knicks any time between now and Oct. 24, the day before the start of then 2023-24 regular season.
If the Oct. 24 deadline passes and no deal is reached, Quickley will enter next summer as a restricted free agent, which would force the Knicks to match any offer that were to come his way to avoid losing him for nothing.
That is not a situation in which the Knicks want to find themselves. Quickley would certainly receive good offers on the open market, perhaps ones that would really test New York’s upper limits. There have been reports, both from Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports and SNY’s Ian Begley, that no substantive talks have happened yet between Quickley and the Knicks.
Expect that to change as October rolls around the extension deadline nears. What kind of contract might Quickley be in line for? One NBA executive who spoke with Deveney believes Quickley’s asking price will be in $100 million range over four years, roughly equal to what Jalen Brunson got last summer.
Brunson’s deal was a steal. He’s worth a lot more than that, and the Knicks are going to have to pay him accordingly when he becomes extension eligible next summer. Nine figures might feel steep for Quickley, but it’s not far off. He has been one of the most valuable Knicks players over his first three seasons.
The traditional numbers are solid. Last season, Quickley averaged just under 15 points on 45% shooting — including 37% from 3-point range on almost six attempts per game. In 21 games as a starter, those numbers shot to 22 points, five assists and five rebounds on 40% 3-point shooting.
But it’s the numbers of those around him that really start to illuminate Quickley’s value. Consider this: Over his first three seasons in the league, 20 players have logged at least 500 minutes playing with Quickley, and every one of those 20 players won those minutes. In other words, not a single two-man Knicks tandem that…
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