Immanuel Quickley and the New York Knicks were unable to come to terms on a contract extension, slating the 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year runner-up for restricted free agency next summer.
Quickley’s Play Has Warranted a Re-Up From the Knicks
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news via Twitter yesterday evening:
The Knicks drafted Quickley with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and have received a huge boost to their bench scoring from the University of Kentucky product.
Last season saw Quickley improve his field goal percentage from 39.2 percent all the way to 44.8 percent while attempting a career-high 11.6 shots per contest. He took the next step as a pro and was vital to New York’s playoff run.
Quickley was third on the team with 2.1 made triples a night and added variance to New York’s offense by scoring off the dribble and breaking down defenses when getting into the lane.
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Knicks Will Have Opportunity to Match Offers Once Contracts Come off the Books Next Summer
The Knicks are over the cap at around $162 million in salaries for this season. Failing to unload Evan Fournier’s $18.87 million deal off their books was a blow to their ability to make a Quickley extension work.
Quickley’s rookie deal is expiring at the end of this season. He will earn $4.17 million this season and become a restricted free agent with a qualifying offer of $6.12 million in the offseason.
The dire need for point guards has lessened in recent years with the insurgency of talented players at the position, but that does not mean that teams won’t come knocking at Quickley’s door in hopes of stealing him from the Knicks.
Rumors swirled that Quickley was negotiating for a nine-figure extension but that did not get to materialize. For now, Quickley has little competition for his backup point guard role with Ryan Arcidiacono and Miles McBride behind him in the depth chart.
The fourth-year pro will have the chance to build upon his strong 2022-23 campaign and put pressure on the Knicks’ front office to match any lucrative offer he may field next summer.
