New York Knicks: Returning players on expiring contracts in 2018-19

Kristaps Porzingis ($5.7 million)

In year four, Kristaps Porzingis will enter the final season of a rookie-scale deal that began in 2015, when the New York Knicks selected him at No. 4 overall. An extension seems inevitable for the franchise player, but what happens in 2018-19 may pave its look.

Porzingis suffered a torn left ACL in February, days before the 2018 All-Star game. It shook New York’s imminent future, with questions of how, when and if he can return to full health.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Porzingis could return around Christmas, which will mark a 10-month absence. That’s still far away, and setbacks can occur, but this holiday lies just over two months into the 2018-19 season.

If this becomes the case, Porzingis would miss 34 games and have a maximum of 48 games to play, identical to how many he appeared in before the injury.

No matter what happens this season, look for the Knicks to give Porzingis a fresh contract in the 2019 offseason, unless he signs an extension beforehand. If they wait for the latter, it will happen when he becomes a restricted free agent. While other teams can create an offer sheet, Scott Perry, Steve Mills and company can match it.

Porzingis will potentially triple or quadruple his $5.7 million salary, but the question is what do the Knicks decide to pay?