Getty New York Knicks wing RJ Barrett during a March 16 game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Dating back to 1999, no New York Knicks rookie has signed with the team beyond their second contract. Will it be RJ Barrett that finally breaks the curse?
This summer, the third-year wing will be eligible for an extension, entering the final year of his rookie contract.
And given that he’s averaging 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, continuing this marriage moving forward certainly seems to make sense for both sides.
That’s why fans were happy to hear Barrett’s committed response when he was asked if he wants to break the pattern of Knicks rookies staying only four years:
“Hundred percent.”
— RJ Barrett on whether he wants to be the first Knicks draft pick to sign a multiyear contract with New York after his rookie deal since Charlie Ward, who was drafted in 1994. Barrett is extension eligible this summer.
Trust that the sentiment is a mutual one between RJ Barrett and the New York Knicks, regarding an extension.
And if he keeps playing as he has as of late, that number could reach the maximum threshold.
RJ Barrett on a Tear in 2022
As a disappointing 2021-2022 New York Knicks campaign heads for the final stretch, fans have taken RJ Barrett’s growth into a number one option as the season’s silver lining.
Since the start of the new year, a 29 game sample size, the 21-year old is averaging 24.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists nightly, while knocking down 37% of his 6.1 three-point attempts.
That includes a four-game absence due to an ankle injury and a 46-point outing in his return after the All-Star break.
Barrett has been on an absolute tear, providing further argument as to why the New York Knicks should waste no time in offering him a new contract.
But he’s not the only young talent eligible for a payday.
Reddish Out for Season, Extension Chances Shot
Given that he’s going into the last year of his rookie deal, wing Cam Reddish will be extension eligible this summer.
He was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks prior to the trade deadline for Kevin Knox and a first-round pick.
But just 15 games into his tenure with the team, he suffered a season-ending injury.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reported on March 10th that due to a shoulder injury Reddish suffered in a win over the Sacramento Kings, he’ll be sidelined for the remainder of the year.
But even prior to his injury, the chances of the New York Knicks offering him one were deemed low.
Trust that the likelihood has only decreased, if anything, given the news of his season-ending injury.
Although the 21-year old did show flashes, and because of injuries elsewhere on the roster, was just carving out a role for himself before getting hurt on March 7th.
When speaking with Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype on Thursday, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News implied that while New York isn’t ruling out a future with Reddish, they’re not keen on offering him an extension this summer:
I think they’re open to trading him. They don’t want to trade him because they just gave up a first-round pick for him. If they get anything less than a first-round pick back for him, that would symbolize the trade was a big mistake already. I don’t think they want to make that concession. They want to give Cam Reddish another year. He’s under contract for next season. They don’t have to give him an extension. I don’t think they will based on what they’ve seen from him so far.
And that was before news broke of his season-ending injury.
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RJ Barrett Responds to Skepticism About Knicks Future