The New York Knicks have a decision to make regarding one of their rising stars. The last regular season saw the emergence of Immanuel Quickley, but now the two sides are struggling to work out a long-term contract.
Knicks not close to new deal with Immanuel Quickley
Quickley’s 40-point. career-high performance against rising star Jalen Green in only 30 minutes was the icing on the cake in what was a breakout 2022 season.
Now, without a contract for Quickley, NBA writer Michael Scotto shared some insight into the distance between both parties during negotiations.
“I think for the Knicks they want it to be at 80, you know like a 4 for 80. I think for Quick, he’d like it more 4 for 100.”
Michael Sotto
The hope among Knicks faithful is that a deal gets done. The fanbase is very high on Quickly and would hate to see him leave.
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The reality is, however, that the NBA is a business. With the Blue and Orange already possessing a great guard rotation, there is leverage for the Knicks in negotiations.
The former All-rookie has been a shining star during his time in New York. Quickley possesses an incredible work ethic and the grit you see in NBA veterans. Any team would be ecstatic to deal with him.
The rumblings around superstar names landing in New York have caused uproars all offseason. Recent reports indicated that the Knicks were very active in pursuing Pelicans star Zion Williamson earlier this offseason.
Could Quickley be packaged in a blockbuster trade?
The former number-one overall pick in 2019 has been the subject of much criticism since joining the NBA. Critics cite Williamson’s weight and injury history as a negative to his untapped potential. In only 29 games played last season, Williamson averaged 26 points per game for the New Orleans Pelicans.
A healthy Williamson is a monster on the floor figuratively, yet he’s only played in 114 regular season games over four seasons. New York tends to sign their best players to more team-friendly deals, yet this upcoming season, there is a variety on the Knicks roster rarely seen.
Guards Evan Fournier and Quickley see themselves as key pieces, yet one can’t crack the rotation, and the other can’t get a deal set in stone. In any scenario that the Pelicans underperform, or Zion is underwhelming, expect New York’s front office to be on the phone making inquiries again.
The leverage possessed by the Knicks is legitimate, with an excellent young core and an even deeper guard rotation with the addition of DiVincenzo.
With Quickley expecting $100 million on his next contract and getting better every year on the defensive end, he is a legitimate starter on many teams; just not the New York Knicks under their current regime.