The Knicks and guard Immanuel Quickley couldn’t agree to a contract extension prior to Monday’s deadline.
Quickley will be a restricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.
The Knicks’ and Quickley’s representatives had been in touch on a deal in the days leading up to the deadline. It’s unclear where negotiations stalled.
The Knicks now enter a pivotal season with one of their top young players facing an uncertain future.
Quickley, 24, was a key part of New York’s success last season. He averaged 15 points, 3.4 assists, one steal and 4.2 rebounds per game to help the Knicks to a 47-win regular season. Quickley played primarily off of the bench and finished second in NBA Sixth Man voting.
If he puts together another strong season in 2023-24, Quickley will draw significant attention as a restricted free agent.
Several teams project to have significant cap space in the 2024 summer. The Spurs, Magic, Pistons, 76ers and Hornets are among the teams projected to have significant space.
The Knicks, though, can match any offer sheet Quickley signs with another team.
As you’d imagine, the restricted free agency dynamic can be stressful for both team and player during the season. The Knicks need Quickley to be at his best in order to take a step forward this season. Will the looming free agency distract him? By all accounts, Quickley is incredibly mature, so I would assume that he handles the situation in a professional manner.
It’s worth noting that the failed negotiations make it easier for the Knicks to trade Quickley.
If the Knicks and Quickley agreed to an extension, it would have been extremely difficult to move the former Kentucky standout during the season.
Quickley’s extension would have had a “poison pill” provision, which creates a wide gap between incoming and outgoing salary in any trade. These trades are difficult to execute.
Now, Quickley’s salary in the final year of his rookie deal ($4.1 million) is easier to include in a trade.
These failed negotiations put Quickley in familiar territory.
Since 1999, only one of the Knicks’ first-round picks (RJ Barrett) has signed a second contract with the team. That year, Charlie Ward signed an extension.
That streak can start anew.
Let’s put the contract aside for a moment.
Quickley is highly regarded by many in the Knick organization. He’s viewed as a self-starter and tireless worker who is focused on daily improvement. In other words, he’s the kind of player that you want in your locker room. The Knicks still have Quickley in the locker room for the rest of this season. Whether he’s there beyond that is very much up in the air.