RJ Barrett is a solid two-way wing, and this season, he established himself as the face of the New York Knicks and the best player on the franchise. While he was slightly inefficient during the 2021-22 season, Barrett still averaged 20.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.0 APG while playing elite defense.
It was recently reported that the New York Knicks have signed RJ Barrett to a lucrative contract extension that could be worth $120 million over four years. There’s no doubt that this was a solid decision for the franchise.
New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett is finalizing a four-year rookie extension that could be worth up to $120 million, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports + @WME_Sports told ESPN.
While the New York Knicks went with this course of action to retain their young player, it seems as though they would have preferred to do something different, according to an NBA insider.
The Knicks Wanted To Move RJ Barrett In A Deal For Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell was one of the biggest names on the trade market this summer, and the New York Knicks were a team that was heavily linked to the star shooting guard. They ultimately ended up missing out on Mitchell, as the Jazz decided to trade him to the Cavaliers.
A recent report by Knicks insider Marc Berman of the New York Post revealed that the Utah Jazz would have preferred to trade RJ Barrett in a Donovan Mitchell deal rather than sign him to an extension so soon.
In fact, according to an NBA source, the Knicks’ would have preferred not to sign Barrett to a hefty contract extension at this moment. They wanted to at least wait until the mid-October deadline to see him at training camp — or even until July 1, when he would have hit restricted free agency.
Barrett was drafted before Rose’s and senior executive William Wesley’s time with the team. Knicks general manager Scott Perry made the Barrett pick in 2019, and even then it wasn’t unanimous.
“They didn’t want to pay RJ now, they like RJ, but he’s not one of their guys,’’ the NBA source said. “The preference was to trade him in a Donovan deal. … [I]f they got Donovan without Barrett in the deal, they weren’t going to pay RJ now.’’
It is clear that signing RJ Barrett to an extension during the summer may not have been what the front office originally wanted to do, but that decision could end up paying off for them in the future. If RJ Barrett develops into a star, then the long-term deal could even look really good in hindsight.
Though the New York Knicks may not be a competitive team next year, it is quite possible that we’ll see RJ Barrett take a jump on an individual level. Hopefully, we see the young forward continue to improve and become the star that many fans hope he can be.
