Latest rumors surrounding Immanuel Quickley

A lot of the offseason talks surrounding the Knicks have been around potential trades for a star. Because of that, media outlets and fans alike have joined forces to participate in maybe the most annoying annual tradition of the NBA offseason, mock trades. But over the last few days, some of the news around the Knicks have shifted towards breakout backup, Immanuel Quickley and what the Knicks might do with him.

Quickley got off to a bit of a slow start, averaging just 8.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 3.1 APG on 35.6% shooting from the field in his first 17 games of the season. From that point on though, he turned it around and quickly (pun intended) became one of the Knicks’ most valuable players, averaging 16.6PPG, 4RPG, and 3.5APG on 46.3% shooting from the field and 38.6% from three over his last 64 games while cementing himself as one of the best defenders in the league. And while it was incredibly fun to watch the recently turned 24-year-old blossom into the player he is now, it put the Knicks in a rather awkward situation. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year finalist was starting to get the league-wide recognition and respect he deserved, giving the Knicks another valuable asset going forward. But with him becoming a restricted free agent next season, there is also some growing and justifiable concern that Quickley could have played himself out of New York.

Those concerns only grew louder when there were reports earlier this week that the Knicks had engaged in trade talks for a “very good player.” It very well could be the Knicks just fielding calls or doing their due diligence, and it’s unlike what the team was doing last fall when they were actively shopping Quickley. But it still is a sign that the Knicks are open to the idea of trading Quickley. And it may be because of what the second-string point guard may command next summer. There have been rumors that Quickey is looking for a nine-figure contract, and given his age and rapid improvement, it wouldn’t be surprising to see teams being interested in offering him that. New York obviously can match any offer, but the big question is, do they want to?

The Knicks aren’t too far removed from offering a significant contract to Jalen Brunson, so there’s uncertainty about if this front office is willing to spend so much on a backup point guard regardless of his importance on both sides of the ball. But, they could also look at the four-year, $100 million contract that Portland’s Anfernee Simons signed last year, and consider Quickley’s wishes as a relatively fair and reasonable request. $100 million contracts aren’t what they were ten years ago and while it’s a different scenario given Quickley’s role, the Knicks very well could bank on him taking the kind of step that a player like Jaylen Brown (who signed a four-year, $106 million contract after averaging 13PPG in the 18-19 season) did. At this point, as is usually the case with this current Knicks’ front office, nobody really knows what they are planning to do, but with how vital Quickley was last season and the room he still has to grow, it will be incredibly interesting what the team does with the valuable asset that is IQ.