The biggest storyline for the New York Knicks heading into the 2023-24 NBA regular season was the status of guard, Immanuel Quickley. The two sides had until the eve of the regular season to hammer out a rookie scale extension, but no deal was reached.
That means Quickley will be heading toward restricted free agency in the summer of 2024. There are already teams preparing to potentially steal Quickley from the Knicks with a massive offer sheet, as his price tag has continued going up based on his performance this season.
Many people thought it would be a huge mistake for the Knicks to not get a deal done with their versatile sixth man, who was reportedly seeking $25 million annually. New York was at about $18-20 million, as a sizable gap remained between the sides and was a big reason why a deal didn’t get done.
Some people hypothesized that a deal wasn’t done because Quickley is seeking out an opportunity to be a starter. As long as Jalen Brunson is on the roster, the starting point guard spot will be his with Quickley coming off the bench behind him.
His position in New York seems to be point guard, as he wasn’t tabbed as the replacement for Quentin Grimes at shooting guard. That role went to Donte DiVincenzo instead. It is a somewhat new role for Quickley, who had shared ball-handling duties with other players in his first three seasons in the NBA. But, that role is now his, solely, and he has thrived.
On the season, Quickley is averaging 15 points per game to go along with 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 24 minutes. Despite seeing a drop in his playing time, he has upped his efficiency and is putting up career numbers in numerous categories.
According to Tommy Beer on X, formerly Twitter, Quickley is putting up career-highs in scoring, true shooting percentage, PER and win shares per 48 minutes. He has worked tirelessly on improving his ball-handling and playmaking and it has resulted in a career-low turnover rate as well.
Quickley is making the most of his somewhat limited opportunities. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has to find a way to get his dynamic guard more minutes as good things normally happen when he is on the floor.
The Knicks are also coming to a crossroads with him. Knowing he is about to hit restricted free agency, and given the level he is performing at, Quickley could be used as a centerpiece in a trade for a superstar-level player.
Moving on from players of Quickley’s caliber is never an easy decision to make. But, if the Knicks can land an impact player using him as a sweetener, Leon Rose will have to think long and hard about including him in a package. If there isn’t any confidence in signing him to a long-term deal, trading him and getting back something of value in return does make sense.
More must-reads: