Immanuel Quickley has been playing lights out over these past few months and, as a result, he looks to be on his way toward a big contract extension with the New York Knicks during the upcoming offseason.
Though the time for both the guard and New York’s front office to start negotiating is still several months away, the folks at Knicks Film School are already discussing the framework of what his new deal could possibly look like and, according to Jonothan Macri, it’s likely to be rather lucrative.
“I am at the point of wondering whether the next contract starts with a one,” Macri said. “I’m looking at the…five sub-max rookie extensions that were handed out last summer…in Jordan Poole, four for ($120 million) guaranteed…Tyler Herro, four for ($113 million or $114 million) guaranteed…Mister RJ Barrett, four for ($107 million) guaranteed…Anfernee Simons, four for ($100 million) that was fully guaranteed, and then De’Andre Hunder, four for ($90 million) I believe fully guaranteed…Has Immanuel Quickley been better than all five of those guys this season in terms of impacting winning basketball?”
Of course, Knicks Film School is not the only platform to suggest that the third-year Knicks guard could be gearing up for a lofty payday, as SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley stated recently that it would be shocking if New York “did not sign Quickley to a big extension and lock him in for several years.”
Quickley Favored to Win Sixth Man of the Year
2022-23 has proven to be a career year for Immanuel Quickley, as he has been an all-out difference-maker for this surging 39-27 Knicks team whilst coming off the pine.
His production has been so top-notch, in fact, that odds makers currently have him listed as the favorite to take home the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award come season’s end.
Most recently, the 23-year-old was seen lighting up the Boston Celtics with a 38-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist performance en route to the Knicks’ ninth-straight win.
Since the beginning of December, Quickley is posting stellar per-game averages of 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 47.3% shooting from the floor and 38.9% shooting from distance.
Jalen Brunson’s Addition to Knicks Gets Strong Comparison
All season long the Knicks have proven to be one of the hottest and most competitive teams in the association and, though many factors have played a part in their successful campaign to this point, easily the most noteworthy has been the play of offseason acquisition, Jalen Brunson.
The 26-year-old’s arrival in New York has brought stability to the team at the game’s most important position, which is a luxury they simply have not had since the days of Walt Frazier, and this impact he’s instilled has been so grand that NBA legend Kevin Garnett went as far as to state in a recent episode his show “Ticket & The Truth” that the signing of Brunson could be argued as being the most impactful free agency pickup since the Golden State Warriors landed Kevin Durant in 2018.
“The Knicks are a real contender,” Garnett said. “Leon Rose and all those guys in the (front office are) looking like executives of the year with the Brunson (signing) man…Seeing what he’s doing, man, listen, I don’t know if you give him (most improved player) but he has been the most impactful player or free agent (for) a team since (Kevin Durant) going to Golden State…Brunson has made a huge difference. Like, he’s made a cultural difference.”
Through 61 games played during his first season with the Knicks, Jalen Brunson has gone on to post career highs virtually all across the board, as he finds himself averaging 23.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.6 rebounds on 48.7% shooting from the floor and 41.1% shooting from distance and has thrust himself into the conversation of winning the league’s Most Improved Player award.
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