New York Knicks: Allonzo Trier contract deadline rapidly approaching

The New York Knicks will soon have to decide on what contract to give Allonzo Trier.

When training camp arrived, the New York Knicks gave no indication of Allonzo Trier, despite signing a two-way contract, starting 2018-19 in the G League. He stuck with the main roster after the preseason and, to no surprise, has yet to join the Westchester Knicks.

Players on two-way contracts can appear on an NBA roster for up to 45 days — a timespan that begins once the G-League team opens training camp.

Westchester’s training camp began on Oct. 22. So, on Nov. 28, Trier’s on Day 38 with the big club. That means a new contract for the rookie guard must arrive soon.

How quickly? Wednesday, Dec. 5 is the last day New York can keep Trier as a two-way player on its main roster. Otherwise, once Dec. 6 arrives, he must go to Westchester or receive an NBA contract. Obviously, it will be the latter.

The Knicks may give Trier a contract for the rest of 2018-19, but that opens him for restricted free agency as soon as July. President Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry can match any offer, but a team with cap space may provide a contract, whatever it could be, that’s too much for them to equal and compromises their available money.

This upcoming free agency features Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and other big names that will cost maximum contracts. The Knicks will have over $30 million available, but likely need to shed one more contract from their 2019-20 commitments.

Even if the front office doesn’t sign a marquee name, will they still want full flexibility and risk letting Trier walk?

However, if the Knicks feel Trier is worth the investment through 2019-20, using the bi-annual exception, which they have $3.382 million available of, works, per Early Bird Rights. $649,577 remains in the mid-level exception.

Mills and Perry can bite into the rest of this exception and provide an identical salary to the $3.382 million for 2019-20 or spike that money to something around $4-to-5 million. Knicks Film School also detailed this option.

So far, Trier has soared above expectations. His 24-point, 10-rebound game against the Detroit Pistons rose his averages to 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 50 percent shooting and 46.2 percent on three-pointers.

It’s a short-term bright spot, but a long-term player for an organization searching for its future. These talents don’t arrive often, and the Knicks need to lock him up for at least 2019-20, before facing another contract decision in July 2020, in restricted free agency.