RJ Barrett is now a millionaire.Knicks forward signed a contract extension Earlier this week, it was worth at least $107 million. He should be on top of the world now. But as the old saying goes, money doesn’t always buy him happiness. And I’m starting to wonder how happy RJ is with this week’s event.
as we pointed out, the news of RJ’s extension came with a depressing warning: Adrian Wojnarowski and others reported that the Knicks offered RJ to Utah in a trade for Donovan Mitchell. wanted to use the threat of asylum to Utah to get RJ to sign a contract extension for less money. Sneaky? Yes, but sure enough, the front office didn’t really want to swap kids, even for an All-Star like Mitchell.
The Knicks’ final offer was reportedly RJ, Immanuel Quickley, and three first-round picks (one of which was a top-five protection). Our own Matt Miranda meditated The Knicks were really lucky that Jazz president Danny Ainge didn’t accept the offer and instead chose to send Mitchell to Cleveland. It left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans.
Mark Berman drops another Molotov cocktail Regarding Friday night’s situation, the Knicks cited sources within the organization who claimed they weren’t all that excited about RJ’s contract extension.
In fact, NBA sources say the Knicks would have preferred not to sign Barrett to a hefty contract extension at this point. They wanted to see him in training camp at least until the mid-October deadline — or even wait until July 1, when he hits restricted free agency.
Barrett was drafted before Rose and senior executive William Wesley joined the team. Knicks general manager Scott Perry named Barrett in 2019, but it was still not unanimous.
“They don’t want to pay RJ right now. They like RJ, but he’s not on their side,” an NBA source said. It was to trade.… [I]If they got Donovan without Barrett, they weren’t going to pay RJ now.
RJ Barrett is a polarizing player in NBA circles. We all know his efficiency issues and elite lack of athleticism. He shot 40% of his shots in his three games last season, while ranking among his league leaders in minutes played for the East’s fourth seed. He can help win basketball. And when his 2021-22 season in the Knicks tanked, RJ was upping his game while Julius Randle pouted fans and teammates.
RJ hasn’t hit his max yet and he hasn’t gotten his max. Knicks fans can’t usually agree on anything, but nearly everyone agreed when it came to praising Barrett’s enhancements. It should have been a moment of celebration. Instead, both fans and RJ are scratching their heads over his leaks to the media. where did they come from? The head coach of infamous Berman source Tom Thibodeau? If so, I can give him a shit right away. If it’s a prominent front he’s a member of the office, things get a little more complicated.
Either way, all this ruckus should help strengthen the bond between RJ and Knicks fans. If RJ can improve for his 2022-23 season, if he can lead the Knicks to a respectable existence, the “RJ-BAR-RETT!” chants in the Garden are deafening. RJ may not be the player the office wanted him to be, but he’s definitely one of us.
