5 Trades Celtics could make with their 1st round picks
By Tyler Watts
4. Knicks move on from Quickley
Quickley is extension-eligible and the two sides are working on a resolution. No deal is done yet, and one might not happen. If the two sides cannot agree, Quickley would become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
What if the 6’3 guard simply wants more than the Knicks are willing to pay? They could force him to find it in free agency next summer and risk losing him for nothing or trade him now.
The Celtics have to set their roster now because they will not be able to aggregate players in trades starting next summer when they are over the second tax apron. Acquiring a cheap salary now that can be extended to a larger number would be ideal for the Celtics.
Boston would have to pay a significant price to get the Knicks to part with him, but this offer could do the trick.
The Celtics paid two first-round draft picks for Jrue Holiday, so they are not giving up more than one for Quickley. New York convinces them to add two seconds and Payton Pritchard. Boston gets a ball-handling and playmaking upgrade with room to grow. Immanuel Quickley will be a key rotation piece for the next decade, and the C’s will be getting his best years.
There is almost no way the New York Knicks trade Immanuel Quickley for more draft capital, but if the two sides are far apart on an extension, the calculus changes. It is a storyline to watch as the regular season approaches.