"New York was not allowed to sign him to a five-year extension unless it was for the full-max numbers" - Bobby Marks outlines details about RJ Barrett's rookie extension with the New York Knicks
The New York Knicks handed out a four-year, $120 million extension to RJ Barrett, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett is finalizing a four-year rookie extension that could be worth up to $120 million, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports + @WME_Sports told ESPN, complicating the franchise’s offseason trade pursuit of Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell. https://t.co/6KkGm4ch8o
Barrett has averaged 17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the New York Knicks.
ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks elaborated on Barrett's contract, noting the inclusion of the "poison-pill" restriction in his contract:
"New York was not allowed to sign him to a five-year extension unless it was for the full max numbers. ... Barrett does not have a six-month restriction on his contract. He has the formidable posion-pill restriction."
Marks further noted that the historical precedent for players with the "poison-pill" restriction getting traded was poor. This could complicate Barrett's inclusion in a Donovan Mitchell trade.
"One-hundred seventy-nine players have poison-pill restriction in their contracts on rookie-extensions. And only one player, Devin Harris, has been traded."
Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks and more: extension highlights from 2022
An otherwise dull offseason saw a handful of franchises go all in on their top talent.
Nikola Jokic took the heftiest package of them all, signing a five-year, $264 million extension with the Denver Nuggets, the largest in NBA history. Jokic, coming off his second straight MVP, will regroup with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. next season.
The Washington Wizards signed Bradley Beal to a five-year, $251 million extension, signaling their faith in Beal for the foreseeable future. The deal also includes a no-trade clause.
Other notable "supermax" recipients include the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker and the Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns. Zach LaVine of the Bulls received a $215 million extension, too.
Among the most notable designated rookie-extension recipients were the New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson and the Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant. Darius Garland also signed a rookie extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Memphis Grizzlies signed Morant for a five-year, $193 million extension. The contract includes performance-based incentives, the fullfillment of which can balloon the value of the contract to $231 million.
Williamson's contract is also worth $193 million, with the potential to increase to $231 million. A notable inclusion in Williamson's contract is a clause around his weight. It requires him to keep the sum of his body weight and body-fat percentage below 295.
RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks and Keldon Johnson of the Spurs signed four-year rookie extensions.