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The New York Knicks made a big move Thursday, just not the one fans were hoping for. Just as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a blockbuster trade to acquire Donovan Mitchell, the apple of New York's eye- the Knicks inked a $107 million contract extension with guard RJ Barrett, per the organization's Twitter account.
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) September 1, 2022
There's RJ Barrett, signing the dotted line on a contract that will pay him $107 million guaranteed. Barrett can earn up to $120 million from the Knicks if he hits all his incentives.
In a statement posted on Knicks PR Twitter, team president Leon Rose said the following, “We are thrilled to announce a well-deserved extension for RJ Barrett, a core piece of our team's foundation.”
Barrett went from popping up in trade rumors for Mitchell to being locked in as a “core piece” of the Knicks, just as New York missed out on a trade for the Jazz star.
Obviously, Knicks fans will be upset about the Mitchell news. But maybe they can take solace in the fact that they finally have a homegrown franchise player to get excited about.
Yes, Kristaps Porzingis was a thing. But Barrett feels different. It feels like the 22-year-old, who has shown promise as a scorer early on his career, fits well into the modern-day, wing obsession going on in the NBA.
There's not a single Knicks fan who will be pleased about the day's events. But maybe, just maybe, New York fans can be satisfied at the fact that the team finally has a homegrown player who has made it to a second contract.
