Immanuel Quickley is in line to get paid, traded, or both

NBA free agency is settling down just in time for teams to start thinking about rookie extensions. Immanuel Quickley is the former Kentucky player who is eligible for such a pay raise and his value could approach $100 million.

Quickley, who placed second in the NBA’s 6th Man of the Year award after being robbed of the trophy in favor of Malcolm Brogdon, finished his third year in the league with career-high numbers. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and a steal per game this season for the New York Knicks, mostly off the bench. However, while he didn’t start, he was often on the court at the end of the game in crunch time.

To assess Quickley’s value, look no further than another former Wildcat, Tyler Herro, who was in the exact same spot as Quickley last year. Herro won the 6th Man of the Year award coming off career-high numbers as well and landed a four-year, $120 million dollar contract.

Most experts think Quickely’s floor would be four years and $80 million, but he could certainly get more.

Another option the Knicks could consider is declining to offer an extension now. With one more year left on his rookie contract, Quickley would become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Michael Scotto reports that if he were to play himself into a higher yearly average, then the Knicks would likely look at trading him in their perpetual hunt for a superstar.

Either way, IQ is in a great position entering his fourth year in the NBA. If only he would have had a chance to play in the 2020 NCAA tournament. What could have been…