NBA teams can begin negotiations with their own free agents one day after the end of the NBA Finals.
So if the Celtics or Mavericks win the 2024 Finals in one go, the Knicks can start negotiating with OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartensteinand their other free agents on June 15.
With that in mind, we’ve made some bold predictions about how this summer will unfold in New York and the rest of the league:
Tom Thibodeau extension
Saying Thibodeau will get an extension is an easy prediction. The Knicks head coach is entering the final season of his contract and is coming off the franchise’s most successful four-year stretch since the turn of the century. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks have reached the second round of the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
Listening to the players, Thibodeau’s approach resonates in the Knicks’ locker room. For all these reasons, Thibodeau has earned a contract extension, and he’s hitting the market at a good time. Ty Lue reportedly agreed to a five-year, $70 million extension with the Clippers. Mike Brown reportedly rejected an offer from Sacramento that started at three years and $21 million dollars. It’s clear 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 gets two guaranteed years on his extension. Every year after two years is the team option I think. This would extend Thibodeau through the 2026-2027 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 are interested in Anunoby, and I’m sure he has plenty of other suitors. But I’m predicting here that Anunoby re-signs with New York to a contract that includes some incentives for games played.
It would be great if the Knicks allowed Anunoby to move on to another team after moving on RJ Barrett And Immanuel Quickley to Toronto to acquire it.
The Knicks were excellent with Anunoby on the floor. He missed significant time with an elbow injury (which he played through 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 Knicks-Pacers series) .
So it makes sense for the Knicks to add some incentives based on games played. But Anunoby’s impact on winning was clear. So I don’t think they will let him sign elsewhere this summer.
Brunson is under contract through 2024-2025. He has a player option for 2025-2026. If Brunson declines the player option in 2025-2026, he could sign a contract worth up to $270 million over five years. The contract runs until 2029-2030.
Brunson will be eligible for a contract extension on July 13. It could last as long as four seasons and be worth as much as $156 million. If he signed an extension, it would obviously help the Knicks tremendously financially. It could allow them to operate under the second platform longer than if Brunson signed as an unrestricted free agent. This would give them more freedom to pursue players via trade and give them access to several free agency exceptions.
Once again, an extension for Brunson 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 his extension ($34.9 million) would rank 29th in annual player salary for 2023-2024.
Brunson has already given the Knicks a financial edge. The four-year, $104 million contract he signed in the summer of 2022 dropped in value. So it gave New York more financial flexibility over the life of the contract. It also sets the number for Brunson’s next contract (an extension or a free agent deal) lower than it would be if Brunson was on an ascending contract.
So this was a win for the Knicks.
My prediction here is that the Knicks will have a good chance of coming to terms with Brunson on an extension starting July 13th. I don’t want to predict whether a deal will ultimately be reached. But I feel comfortable predicting that the Knicks will have a great chance of making a deal.
I think Randle will recover well from his shoulder surgery and have another strong season in 2024-2025. He will be eligible for an extension in early August. My prediction on that one is that he and the Knicks can’t come to an agreement on an extension in August.
Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell will sign an extension with the Cavaliers, and the Cavs will make a major acquisition via trade to put themselves in a strong position in the Eastern Conference.
After receiving a hard push from the Sixers and others, George makes a deal to return to the Clippers and reverse it with Kawhi Leonard, James HardenAnd Tyron Lue.
The Suns and Warriors will at least have exploratory talks about a trade that would land Durant back in Golden State. Everything the Suns have said publicly suggests they will run it back with their big three of Durant. Devin BoekerAnd Bradley Beal. But something isn’t right there. So I predict Phoenix will at least casually talk to teams about a potential Durant trade.
Redick will be the next head coach of the Lakers and Le Bron James will remain in Los Angeles next season.
Harris will influence victory for his next team. The New York native became the face of Sixers fans’ frustrations in recent seasons. But he remains a highly skilled, versatile player. Several teams gathered at the Chicago NBA Draft combine praised Harris for his professionalism and leadership during the difficult stretch with the Sixers. “He never lost his cool,” one front office member noted.
While I have a soft spot for players from the Tri-state area, I truly believe that Harris will help his next team improve its year-over-year win total in 2024-2025, and that he will once again show the league just how skilled He is. is located at both ends of the floor.
….For transparency, here are our previous prediction columns for 2023-24 and 2022-23.
