The Knicks made the right move extending R.J. Barrett and they should be ecstatic they did not trade him for Donovan Mitchell
There are a ton of mixed feelings about Barrett among the Knicks fanbase and organization, but when its all set and done 4 years-$120 million is a steal for the 22 year old up and coming NBA star
Over the past several months, R.J. Barrett has been subject to trade rumors with him being the centerpiece included in a Donovan Mitchell trade. Barrett has been criticized on social media by many fans, specifically on Twitter, regarding his efficiency, defense, shooting, and overall why he doesn’t deserve a contract extension. After months of the Knicks organization weighing their options, they made the right move in extending their franchise player. This comes after reports surfaced a couple of weeks ago that the Knicks would prefer to include Barrett in a Mitchell trade over the much cheaper Quentin Grimes.
Obviously, this made no sense from a talent standpoint, and it lacks validity even from a fiscal point of view. Now, Mitchell is a Cleveland Cavalier, and Knicks fans are outraged that he isn’t a Knick. The reported final offer the Knicks made to the Jazz was R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and two first-round picks but the Jazz declined. Early in July, when talks began between the two sides, the Knicks not only included R.J. Barrett but also Mitchell Robinson (before he was extended) and 3 first-round picks. The Jazz denied that deal, but that ultimately was the best offer they received for Mitchell. Nonetheless, the Knicks will dodge a bullet as Barrett is the better option for long-term team success.
It also is important to note that the Knicks lack finances after this Barrett extension, considering they extended Julius Randle to a max contract two summers ago, and just signed Jalen Brunson to a $26 million-dollar-a-year deal, both of which were considered “overpays” at the time. Even after Randle’s miraculous 2020-2021 NBA season where he almost averaged a triple-double, many experts questioned if that kind of production was sustainable. They proved to be right as Randle was extremely inefficient from the field last season (50.9 TS% and an eFG% of 45.9, two of the worst marks in the NBA for his high usage percentage) and failed to take the Knicks back to the playoffs.
Nonetheless, the Randle contract is one the Knicks would prefer to live without and the Brunson contract will unfortuantley become that as well. Brunson is a solid basketball player on both ends of the floor who averaged 16.3 points and 4.8 assists per game with an eFG% of 54.9 and a TS% of 58 (both of which are highly efficient marks). Brunson thrived with the Mavericks last year and helped lead them alongside Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie, to the Western Conference Finals. Brunson also shot 37.3% from 3PT range and definitely deserved a considerable raise when he hit free agency.
However, $26 million dollars a year for a 6-0 point guard that has only had one great year is very risky, especially if you take into account that the Knicks likely could have sent extra draft capital to acquire Donovan Mitchell instead to pair alongside Barrett and Randle without adding in Brunson. I suppose that the Knicks did not know Mitchell would be available when they facilitated the Brunson deal (which could have been a month before free agency as the league is conducting an investigation about the Knicks and Brunson).
Brunson is a good defender, but not a guy that can not hang with the taller point guards on defense (Lonzo Ball, Cade Cunningham…etc) which isn’t a good thing in a Tom Thibadeau-coached defense. Adding another 6-1 and under guard in Mitchell (despite his offensive superpowers) would be concerning as well since Mitchell statistically is ranked as one of the five worst defenders in the NBA per “NBA University” and “The BBALL Index”. The talent would be great, but two 6-1 and under guards in the starting lineup will be a recipe for disaster and an extremely compelling product for opposing teams.
Nonetheless, the Knicks are now in a position where they have almost three max contracts and wouldn’t have been able to acquire Mitchell had Barrett not been included. As the Knicks did include Barrett in multiple Donovan Mitchell offers, it shows that they lack confidence in Barrett and whether or not he can develop into an NBA superstar.
They will have to repair that relationship and it may take time. It is important to remember that Barrett was the first Knick drafted by the franchise to receive a rookie max contract extension since 1999, and if we look at recent NBA champions such as the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks, their success came from the NBA draft and developing those draft picks. The tumultuous journey the Knicks have had with their young talent is a prime example of why they haven’t had playoff success and other teams who have prioritized development with their young players have.
Nonetheless, the Knicks can thank their lucky stars that the Jazz sent Mitchell elsewhere since they can continue to develop Barrett into the franchise cornerstone player. Not only is Barrett a much better defender than Mitchell, but he is also vastly improving every season on both ends of the floor and has yet to tap into his offensive potential.
According to NBA University and The BBALL Index, in his age-21-season, Barrett dramatically improved his playmaking skills finishing in the 94th percentile of playmaking talent, the 92nd percentile of scoring gravity, and the 99th percentile in passing creation quality. Barrett’s passing versatility and shot creation last season ranked as some of the best in the NBA, and he is just getting started. Barrett averaged 20 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game last season not even used as the primary option on offense most of the time.
Sure, Barrett’s shooting efficiency does raise concerns (46.6 eFG% and 52 TS%). Still, the Knicks didn’t have a good playmaking point guard who could get Barrett open looks, nor did they have many reliable 3-point shooters to take pressure off of Barrett and allow his playmaking to truly flourish. Now with Jalen Brunson, Barrett has a consistent offensive weapon that can not only get him open looks but also knock down threes at a high rate.
Offensively, the Knicks should already see more fluidity, especially if they let Barrett flourish with his playmaking abilities. 3 assists per game for one of the league’s best playmakers just shows that Thibadeau did not put the ball in Barrett’s hands enough and wasn’t playing to his strengths.
As is, the Knicks got better this offseason by adding a two-way stud in Brunson (even though he is undoubtedly overpaid) and another solid rim-protector in Isaiah Hartenstein (who ranked 1st in the NBA in opposing field goal percentage by the rim against him per NBA University and The BBALL Index). Barett is poised for a huge season with averages of 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5-6 assists, and improved efficiency from all over the floor if the Knicks let him cook.
In conclusion, whether the starved for a superstar Knicks fans tell you otherwise, the Knicks made the right move in extending R.J. Barrett and not finalizing a trade for Donovan Mitchell. Just because Mitchell is more polished and developed as a player, and is a big brand name, does not mean a team should sell their whole future for him. R.J. Barrett can become a better player than Mitchell on both ends of the floor if the Knicks develop him correctly. That starts with letting Barrett be the #1 option on offense, putting Julius Randle to the side, and having Brunson get Barrett more open looks. If they do that, they will see Barrett flourish and take his development and production to another level.