Sixers Rival Inks Young Standout to Four-Year Extension

RJ Barrett will remain a Sixers rival for years to come as he agreed to a four-year extension with the New York Knicks.

Philadelphia 76ers' rival, the New York Knicks, are looking to get back into playoff contention this season. While the Knicks are scanning the league for possible trades to improve their current roster, they have been looking to lock in one of their long-term lately.

Knicks guard RJ Barrett intends to remain in the Big Apple for the foreseeable future. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Barrett and the Knicks inked a multi-year extension on Monday night.

Per Wojnarowski's report, Barrett is expected to make up to $120 million over four years. The young guard now becomes the youngest $100 million player in Knicks history.

The Knicks drafted the Toronto-born prospect with the third-overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. At the time, Barrett was a five-star NCAA prospect out of Florida who attended Duke for a solo season.

With Duke, Barrett averaged 22 points in 35 minutes over the course of 38 games. As soon as he joined the Knicks, he was an instant starter on a team working itself into playoff contention.

After averaging 14 points in his rookie year, Barrett upped his production during his sophomore effort. Starting all 72 games for New York during the 2020-2021 season, Barrett averaged 17 points while knocking down 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Barrett was a solid sidekick to New York's most improved player, Julius Randle, as the Knicks landed the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. While the Knicks were favored over the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2021 postseason, they found themselves out early with a 4-1 series loss.

The Knicks struggled to maintain their regular season success in 2021-2022, but Barrett continued to improve on a personal note. In 70 games, the 22-year-old guard exceeded his career high by averaging 20 points per game. He also accounted for nearly six rebounds and three assists. 

Barrett's future in New York remained a question mark throughout the offseason as there were talks about the Knicks potentially moving him. However, a lack of traction in the market for Utah's Donovan Mitchell, and even Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, made the Knicks look out for one of their home-grown players.

Since being in the league, Barrett has faced the 76ers ten times. Against Philly, Barrett has averaged 16 points, knocking down 21 percent of his threes. 

The last time Barrett faced the Sixers in Philadelphia on March 2, 2022, the young guard logged 30 points in 40 minutes. He hasn't been a Sixers killer by any means, but the Knicks are banking on the idea that Barrett continues to improve and becomes a handful for their rivals for years to come. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.