3 things to know about RJ Barrett’s four-year extension with Knicks

The New York Knicks did what most fans have been waiting for late on Monday night — extended RJ Barrett. It was a move that wasn’t necessarily expected to happen given the talks surrounding Donovan Mitchell, but it was one that solidifies that the Knicks are headed in the right direction.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Barrett was finalizing a four-year, $120 million extension with New York. The 22-year-old had been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, and he was set to become a restricted free agent next summer, but fans no longer have to worry about that happening.

Barrett’s going to remain in New York for the time being (or so it seems). He’s entering his fourth season in the league, and in his third season, he averaged 20 points for the first time. From the start of 2022 to the end of the regular season in April, Barrett averaged 23.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 41 games while shooting 41.2% from the field.

RJ Barrett’s the future of the Knicks, and while there’s still a good possibility that a Donovan Mitchell-New York trade will still happen, fans should be celebrating the front office’s latest move.

3 things to know about RJ Barrett’s extension with the Knicks

3: RJ Barrett ‘officially’ snaps the Charlie Ward curse

Earlier this summer in free agency, New York re-signed Mitchell Robinson to a four-year, $60 million deal. Robinson ‘broke’ the Charlie Ward curse of the Knicks re-signing one of their draft picks to a multi-year deal, but RJ Barrett officially snapped the curse because he’s the first player to be a first-round draft pick to break the curse. New York drafted Robinson as the No. 36 overall pick in 2018.

In the span of two months, the Knicks have re-signed two of their own draft picks, and although Robinson was a second-round pick, both deals are worthy of recognition. The best way to build a team is through the draft (look at the Golden State Warriors), and that’s what New York is doing.

Ward signed his extension with the Knicks in 1999 after being drafted No. 26 overall in 1994. Here we are 23 years later, and the curse has *officially* been broken by RJ Barrett.

2: What the RJ Barrett extension looks like

RJ Barrett signed a four-year, $120 million extension with New York. His extension includes bonuses, which according to SNY’s Ian Begley, “are tied to selections to the All-Star Game, any of the three All-NBA teams or either of the two All-NBA Defensive teams.” Shortly after the 2021-22 season ended, Barrett said that a goal of his is to become an All-Star in 2022-23.

According to Stefan Bondy, the extension is a straight four years that doesn’t include an option in the final season. Out of the $120 million, $107 million is guaranteed, which puts RJ at having the largest contract in the history of the organization (that’s how money works).

Because it’s a rookie extension, the deal includes a “poison pill” provision. Essentially, that means that since the extension will kick in on July 1, 2023, Barrett can’t be traded until then. That doesn’t mean that RJ can’t be traded, but as Begley wrote, “it creates a wide gap between Barrett’s salary in a trade for the Knicks and the team receiving him in a deal.” There’s only been one player under the poison pill restriction that’s been traded, and it was Devin Harris in 2008.

If you’re still not quite sure about what the poison pill provision is, here’s an explainer video from ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

1: Leon Rose set a deadline for an RJ Barrett extension

Here’s the juicy part. There have been so many reports centered around the talks between New York and Utah that have made the situation difficult to keep up with, especially regarding RJ Barrett’s status.

Woj reported that Leon Rose set a deadline of Monday night with the Jazz to reach an agreement on a Donovan Mitchell trade, or else a Barrett extension would happen. The Knicks stayed true to their word.

Now, RJ signing an extension doesn’t mean that New York still can’t trade for Mitchell. Nor does it mean that Barrett still can’t be included in a deal, although as mentioned previously, the poison pill provision would complicate any trade that included RJ.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that he’s been told that Barrett “could very well” still be included in a trade. Charania also said that New York’s most recent offer included RJ Barrett and two unprotected first-round picks, but Utah declined, which led to the extension.

Based on what’s been said on social media, the belief seems to be that the majority of Knicks fans don’t want to see RJ get traded. Many might be wondering why New York has included his name in trade proposals, but thanks to the good ole poison pill, the likelihood of him being traded has gone down drastically.

But alas, RJ Barrett has been given an extension, and for now, that’s all that matters. Let’s hope that the Donovan Mitchell trade saga ends soon and that both he and RJ will be suiting up for the Knicks in October.

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