Joyful Hope: RJ Barret Extension to End Knick’s Embarrassing Streak Failure

According to multiple reports, the New York Knicks are negotiating a four-year contract extension with rising star forward RJ Barrett. When signed, the contract worth up to $120 million will not only complicate the team’s objective of winning Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell but will also end one of NBA’s most embarrassing streaks with Barrett becoming the first drafted pick by the Knicks to sign a multi-season extension since Charlie Ward over twenty years ago.

The No. 3 overall choice in the 2019 NBA Draft is now poised to serve as a player that will hold the team together. At least for the foreseeable future. Now that the New York Knicks’ pursuit of Mitchell has hit a wall, Barrett has to be a franchise cornerstone. 

While Barrett wasn’t initially included in the trade talks between the two sides, they have reportedly brought him up in the most recent discussions as New York has been trying to trade for the All-Star guard. They’ve now said to have set a Monday night deadline to complete and close the trade. And while Barrett is not needed for a trade to happen, New York and Utah would need to start over if they want to complete a deal before the season’s start.

So, here’s the key points to RJ Barrett’s new agreement:

 

The Money

Although theoretically Barrett’s extension agreement does not preclude him from being traded this season, it does create a kink in how his compensation would be calculated in such a deal. On the New York side, nothing alters at all. He would still count for his 2022-23 salary of $10.9 million for salary matching purposes. The cap amount for his incoming salary to Utah would be significantly higher, however. 

Barrett’s incoming salary to the Jazz or any other team acquiring him would be the average of the five seasons he is currently signed for between now and when his deal kicks in during the 2023 offseason. That amounts to almost $26.2 million.

Since the Jazz wouldn’t have to give Barrett that much money upfront, this is more of a hassle than a real obstacle. It’s only the amount to be deducted from the cap as a part of the transaction. Fitting the move within the league’s permitted trade parameters is when things get tricky. Neither party can pay out more than 125 percent of the salary they accept in a deal of this size.

Mitchell earns north of $30 million, which has given the Jazz some wiggle room but unfortunately does make it harder for them to get the contracts from the New York side.

Barrett still only accounts for $10.9 million of the Knick’s outgoing salary, meaning they would need at least one more hefty contract to get to that 125 percent range. In reporting, Evan Fournier is favorable.

Again, a solution is possible if both parties are willing to work together, but the fact that the Knicks are offering Barrett this extension shows that they intend to keep him. If a deal can be reached in this situation, the focus will fall on draft picks and other young players on the New York team.

 

A Bad Streak? Or Simply Coincidence?

The Knicks have done very well in the draft despite their challenges this century. As rookies in New York, Kristaps Porzingis and David Lee both made All-Star teams. Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, and Channing Frye all went on to have successful careers. Finding new talent hasn’t been New York’s problem. It’s been about retaining them.

Before Barrett, Charlie Ward was the last Knicks draft choice to accept a multi-year rookie extension in 1999. Chandler, Shumpert, Gallinari, Porzingis, and Frye were all exchanged. Following the signing of Amar’e Stoudemire by the Knicks, Lee left as a free agent. Simply put, many Knicks busts weren’t worthy of new deals.

Ironically, one of the Knicks’ own first-round picks did receive a massive second deal from the team but only after he had already left. Tim Hardaway Jr. was acquired by the Knicks in 2013 using a first-round draft pick. He was sold in 2015, and the Knicks later paid him $72 million to return as a restricted free agent in 2017. That and the contract Mitchell Robinson signed as a free agent this offseason were the closest the humiliating run got to ending before Barrett. It served as the ultimate symbol of the Knicks’ ineptitude in many ways. Barrett’s signing, though, allows the Knicks to put that embarrassing chapter of their past behind them.

Finally, a player they want to keep!

 

The Hopeful Answer

Little has been done by the Knicks to set up Barrett for success so far in his career. He has been surrounded mainly by bad shooters and the likes of Julius Randle, who plays dominating the ball in half-court situations. Tom Thibodeau, the coach he plays for, is well-known for wearing out his starters. But Barrett has gradually developed into a superb young player. 

When he first entered the NBA, his 3-point shot was the central area of concern. But in just his second NBA season, he was able to sink more than 40% of his shots successfully. Over the course of his three seasons, his defense has steadily improved, and he has guarded New York’s most formidable opponents for the majority of last season.

Last season, Barrett became the most valuable Knick when Randle struggled under the pressure of a new contract and New York scrutiny. 

Pre-game since New Year’s Day, Barret has averaged 23.6 points, six rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game after a poor start. The Knicks have yet to provide him with a club that is capable of supporting his development, but with Brunson on board and Mitchell perhaps on the way, that may quickly change. 

This is a league of wings, and New York has finally decided to extend its best one’s contract by four more years. The league is anticipated to have inked a new, more lucrative television contract that should considerably raise the pay cap for the last two years of that deal.