NEW YORK — RJ Barrett has said all the right things, acted the part of a worthy investment and flashed his star potential on the court after the All-Star break. Now Barrett’s waiting for his money. The REAL money.
Barrett becomes eligible for an extension in the offseason and can max out at five years, $181 million. It’s a hefty price tag for a player who disappointed as a rookie and bombed in his only playoff appearance, but Barrett is also bringing his impressive third season to the negotiating table.
“I just think this year I’ve shown who I am. I’ve shown toughness. I’ve shown that I’m resilient just being that everyday guy,” Barrett said. “I had COVID. I got hurt a couple games. But just try to be here through anything.
“More than that, I just wanna be a team guy. I just wanna win. I wanna win. So, it hasn’t gone perfect. It hasn’t gone the way we planned it, but we haven’t let go of the rope. Really proud of how we’ve been playing since the All-Star break. That just showed a lot about us, as well, so for me I just go out there and just try to show who RJ Barrett is and then the rest of it happens by itself.”
In terms of recent precedent, here is Barrett’s competition for max contracts off rookie deals:
— Luka Doncic (Dallas)
— Trae Young (Atlanta)
— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)
— Michael Porter Jr. (Denver)
— Donovan Mitchell (Utah)
— Jayson Tatum (Boston)
— Bam Adebayo (Miami)
— De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento)
— Ben Simmons (Philadelphia)
— Jamal Murray (Denver)
— Pascal Siakam (Toronto)
In Barrett’s 2019 draft class, only Memphis’ Ja Morant is a lock to sign a max extension, although Cleveland’s Darius Garland and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson could easily join the list.
Where does Barrett fit in this group? It’s tough to project, but there are areas for Barrett to press his leverage.
He entered Wednesday’s game against the Nets averaging 20.1 points per game with bonus points for durability and age (still just 21 years old). He also has the full backing of the fanbase, which has ditched Julius Randle and embraced Barrett as the franchise face.
The Knicks haven’t re-signed a draft pick off his rookie deal since Charlie Ward, a factoid frequently presented as a symbol of the franchise’s two-decade run of misery. Barrett is poised to break the streak and end the taunts, so long as the Knicks agree to his desired number.
“I’ve said it since day one that I wanted to come here. I didn’t work out for any other team (in the draft),” Barrett said. “This is where I wanna be. I love playing for the Knicks. I love playing in the Garden. I love how we got to the playoffs last year and looking to do that again. I love everything about being a Knick. Yeah, 100 percent the place I wanna be.”
On the flip side, Barrett has only sporadically demonstrated the potential for a max contract. His efficiency remains underwhelming (just 41% from the floor, 35% on 3-pointers and 72% on foul shots). Without elite athleticism, Barrett’s ceiling isn’t as high. He’s been billed as a defensive stopper, but the analytics and eye test suggest otherwise.
The Knicks maxed out Randle off one spectacular season, and already the deal is regrettable. Leon Rose’s other options with Barrett would be stopping offers at less than the max, or allowing him to hit restricted free agency in 2023.
It’s among the biggest storylines of the Knicks’ impending offseason.
“Of course I’m interested to see (what happens)?” Barrett said. “You know what I mean? Of course I’m interested to see how that’s gonna end up and how that’s gonna work out, but for right now, I’m still in the moment.”
