NBA teams can begin negotiations with their own free agents the day after the NBA Finals end.
So if the Celtics or Mavericks win the 2024 Finals in one fell swoop, the Knicks you can start trading with OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartensteinand its other free agents on June 15.
With that in mind, we’ve put together some bold predictions for how this summer will play out in New York and the league:
Tom Thibodeau extension
Saying Thibodeau will receive an extension is an easy prediction. The Knicks coach is entering the final season of his contract and coming off the franchise’s most successful four-year season since the turn of the century. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks reached the second round of the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign.
If you listen to the players, Thibodeau’s approach resonates in the Knicks locker room. For all these reasons, Thibodeau won a contract extension and arrives on the market at a good time. Ty Lue reportedly agreed to a five-year, $70 million extension with the Clippers. Mike Brown reportedly turned down an offer from Sacramento that started at three years and $21 million dollars. Clearly, he’s looking for more years or more money than the $7 million annual salary in that offer.
My prediction for Thibodeau is that he will be guaranteed two years of extensions. Any years beyond two will be a team option, I guess. That would extend Thibodeau through the 2026-27 season. I’m not sure where the money will end up, but it’s reasonable to expect it to be above Brown’s reported offer.
OG Anunoby
The Sixers have interest in Anunoby and I’m sure he has plenty of other suitors. But I’m going to predict here that Anunoby will re-sign with New York to a contract that contains some incentives for games played.
It would be impressive if the Knicks allowed Anunoby to go to another team after they moved Barreto RJ It is Emanuel Quickley to Toronto to acquire it.
The Knicks were excellent with Anunoby on the floor. He missed significant time due to an elbow injury (which he played before he and the team decided surgery was the best option) and a hamstring strain (from which he returned prematurely to play in Game 7 of the series Knicks-Pacers).
So it makes sense for the Knicks to include some incentives based on games played. But Anunoby’s impact on the victory was obvious. So I don’t think they’ll let him sign elsewhere this summer.
Brunson has a contract until 2024-25. He has a player option for 2025-26. If Brunson declines his player option in 2025-26, he could sign a max contract worth about $270 million over five years. The contract would last until 2029-30.
On July 13, Brunson will be entitled to a contract extension. It could last up to four seasons and be worth up to US$156 million. If he were to sign an extension, it would obviously be a huge financial help for the Knicks. This could allow them to operate under the second apron longer than they would if Brunson signed as an unrestricted free agent. This would allow them more freedom to pursue players through trade and give them access to different exemptions for free agency.
Once again, a Brunson extension would be a huge win for the Knicks. It would be another example of his leadership and sacrifice for the greater good of the franchise. The All NBA guard would be playing on a contract well below his market value. The first year of its extension ($34.9 million) would rank 29th in player annual salary for 2023-24.
Brunson has already given the Knicks a financial advantage. The four-year, $104 million contract he signed in the summer of 2022 was falling in value. Thus, he gave New York more financial flexibility during the term of the contract. It also sets Brunson’s next contract number (an extension or free agent deal) at a lower value than it would be if Brunson had an ascending contract.
So this was a win for the Knicks.
My prediction here is that the Knicks will have a good chance of reaching an agreement with Brunson on an extension starting July 13th. I don’t want to predict whether a deal will end up being done. But I feel comfortable predicting the Knicks will have a great opportunity to make a deal.
I think Randle will recover well from his shoulder surgery and have another strong season in 2024-25. He is eligible for an extension in early August. My prediction on this is that he and the Knicks won’t be able to come to an agreement on an extension in August.
DonovanMitchell
Mitchell will sign his extension with the Cavaliers, and the Cavs will make a significant acquisition via trade to put themselves in a strong position in the Eastern Conference.
After receiving heavy pressure from the Sixers and others, George reaches a deal to return to the Clippers and return with Kawhi Leonard, James HardenIt is Tyronn Lue.
The Suns and Warriors will at least have exploratory talks regarding a trade that would send Durant back to Golden State. Everything the Suns have said publicly suggests they are going to go back on their big three Durant, Devin BookerIt is Bradley Beal. But something is wrong there. Therefore, I predict Phoenix will at least casually talk to teams about a possible Durant trade.
Redick will be the Lakers’ next coach and LeBron James will remain in Los Angeles next season.
Harris will make a winning impact on his next team. The New York native has become the face of Sixers fans’ frustrations over the past few seasons. But he remains a highly skilled and versatile player. Several teams that gathered at the Chicago NBA Draft praised Harris for his professionalism and leadership during the rough patch with the Sixers. “He never lost his cool,” commented one board member.
I admit I have a soft spot for players from the Tri-state area, but I truly believe Harris will help his next team improve its year-over-year win total in 2024-25, and he will show the league again how skilled he is at both ends of the floor.
….For greater transparency, here are our past forecast columns for 2023-24 It is 2022-23.
