The Knicks recently added former Golden State Warriors Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year, $47 million deal. DiVincenzo is expected to play a significant role as a shooting guard on the bench. He might even top Quentin Grimes as a starter. Both players are expected to contribute significantly during the 2023-24 season. However, Quickley’s value as a backup point guard and key sixth man off the bench remains indisputable.
However, this has not dissuaded the front office from potentially considering him a commercial asset. The Athletic’s Fred Katz reports that the Knicks offered Quickley as commercial bait looking for young veterans earlier this summer.
Quickley is coming off a season in which he narrowly missed out on the Sixth Man of the Year award. He averaged career averages of 14.9 points, 3.4 rebounds defensively, 4.2 total rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. His shooting records were .44 from the field and .370 from center. He served as one of the team’s leading scorers, significantly offsetting the impact of Jalen Brunson’s home runs.
However, the Knicks remain uncertain about extending Quickley’s contract beyond next season, especially given his expected salary of more than $20 million a season over four years. Other teams may see the value in buying him now, given his relatively low cost ahead of a potential contract extension.
The Knicks have the option to keep Quickley next season, leverage his skills as a key rotation piece, and then decide in free agency whether to keep him on a more significant contract. It’s conceivable that he could take a sizable step forward and excel during the postseason (provided the Knicks qualify), justifying a long-term deal.
However, if a tempting offer for a star player to pair with Brunson and Julius Randle lands on Leon Rose’s desk, Quickley could be on the trading block as a major piece of the deal.