Julius randle contract extension11/4/2023 When The Athletic texted one front-office person what he would consider a fair contract for both Quickley and Toppin, the person responded, via text, that he would give them both minimums. Take that strategy to the extreme, and vital contributors like Quickley, ones who make more than the $12 million midlevel exception but not near the max, are left out to dry. Teams could load up with a couple of max guys and build out the rest of the roster with cheaper players. The result may just take a bite out of the NBA’s middle class. Trades are more difficult to pull off, as are signings. The tax - specifically, the feared “aprons,” which The Athletic detailed last week - is where flexibility goes to die. The new collective bargaining agreement, which goes into effect in July, penalizes luxury-tax teams far more than the current CBA does. The way the league looks at middling contracts is about to change. Albeit, that was in a different cap environment. This league source compared the hypothetical four-year, $72 million contract for Quickley to the four-year, $68 million one Bogdan Bogdanović, a starter-level talent who came off the bench this past season, signed with the Atlanta Hawks in 2020. Kuzma ended up outplaying his contract, but he also will hit unrestricted free agency this summer - only two years into the deal - and will receive a massive raise once he gets there. The latter strategy would mimic the contract Kyle Kuzma signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. … An alternative is a $16 million average for three years and the third year is a player option, so he has flexibility to get out.” He added, “The $18 million plus bonuses is a bridge between the sixth man/super sub and the starter money to satisfy both sides. He deemed $72 million guaranteed over four years fair but also added another $12 million total in bonuses Quickley could earn “if he accomplishes starter-type stuff.” One league source polled for this story, who figured the two sides could be far apart for all the reasons stated above, said he would offer Quickley an incentives-laden contract. And thus, there could be a divide between what the guard wants and what the team is willing to give. Quickley’s role is as one of the league’s best subs. Still, when it comes to potential nine-figure contracts, teams take roles into account. As long as Jalen Brunson is around, he is bound to come off the bench, but that doesn’t stop him from playing more than some starters or closing games regularly. He thrived when he got to run the first unit this past season. In today’s NBA, that’s not starter’s money, and the word for a long time has been that Quickley would like to be paid as if he’s a starter - as would be the case for most anyone in his spot. It’s a wonder if Quickley would accept an offer as low as $16 million a year. And then there was the previously mentioned five-year, $100 million one. Two people said they thought four years, $80 million was a fair extension number. That’s where 11 of the 15 participants settled. The sweet spot in the poll was somewhere between $16 million and $20 million a year. His opinion becomes superfluous to this exercise once you realize that if the Knicks thought so meekly of Quickley, they would have traded him a long time ago. That person acknowledged Quickley agreeing to such a tiny number wasn’t realistic. On the low end, one person suggested four years, $50 million, less than what the midlevel exception will be worth. Three other people suggested nine-figure contracts: five years, $125 million four years, $100 million and five years, $100 million. The largest proposed salary was $27.5 million - $110 million over four years. Each partaker was given anonymity so that he could speak freely. The Athletic recently polled 15 people who work in front offices across the NBA, asking what they would deem a “fair” extension for Quickley.
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