NBA GM: RJ Barrett 'Will Be a Piece' in Major Knicks Deal

If the New York Knicks make a major deal that puts another star next to Jalen Brunson, it's potentially set to include homegrown franchise face RJ Barrett.

The ironic part of RJ Barrett's contract extension is perhaps that New York Knicks fans might be advised to not get attached.

Speaking with Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, a general manager from the NBA's Eastern Conference seems to believe that RJ Barrett would be included in any marquee trade the Knicks potentially enact this offseason. Barrett is coming off an underwhelming season after inking a four-year, $120 million extension that served as a de facto consolation prize when the Knicks were unable to land Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Utah Jazz.

"He will be a piece if they make a major deal,” the exec told Deveney. "They’re not going to just trade RJ as the main component of a trade, but if they want to get (Damian) Lillard or KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) or even OG Anunoby or (Pascal) Siakam, it is probably going to mean including him."

Barrett carries a $23.8 million cap hit in the first year of his extension next season. Any deal involving Barrett would likely not occur until after July 1, when his "poison pill" restriction (involving salary matching in potential deals) expires. 

The return in any such Barrett deal would have to be big considering his potential as the third overall pick of the 2019 draft. The exec said that the Knicks are aware of the implications and would be willing to "keep RJ and maybe try to move him next summer if he does not take that step forward.”

But the general manager also says that Barrett's fourth season in blue-and-orange pushed the Knicks into an alarming realization.

“They overpaid him. They were hoping for a step forward from him, but that was not going to happen once you bring in Jalen Brunson, too," the GM declared. Still, RJ’s shooting, his efficiency, it has got to worry you. He has it in his game, but he has to keep it more consistent."

To that point, Barrett saw declines in several major statistical categories, including three-point shooting (34 to 31 percent), scoring (20 to 19.6), and rebounds (5.8 to 5). His defense also left much to be desired, as his rating of 118 was the worst of his career and the second-worst on the Knicks this season. Barrett found a bit of a groove during the postseason, notably embarking on a streak of six 20-point games over a seven-contest stretch but capped things off on a 1-of-10 note in Game 6 of the conference semifinal tilt against Miami. 

The Barrett gossip, it appears, has only just begun: in another conversation with Deveney, another NBA executive claimed that the Knicks "don’t always seem to know what to do" with Barrett, who is one of the longest-tenured New Yorkers on the current roster. 

If the Knicks are going to trade Barrett, it perhaps should only be for an established, bonafide superstar that helps thrust the team into the Eastern Conference's penthouse. Buyer's remorse may linger for the time being, but Barrett's lingering potential may be too vast and his contract too heavy to give up on after one down year.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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