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The New York Knicks completed a bit of roster business Monday, picking up the options for second-year wing RJ Barrett and third-year forward Kevin Knox. Barring trades, both players will be on the Knicks roster for the 2021-22 season.
Knicks announce they have exercised the third-year option on RJ Barrett's contract and the fourth-year option on Kevin Knox' rookie contract.
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) December 21, 2020
Both Barrett and Knox are on their rookie deals, and this was pretty much just a formality, though Knox was so bad at times last season that it might have been fair to wonder if the Knicks would just cut bait on the embattled forward. Knox certainly helped his case at the last minute by shooting 52.9% from beyond the arc in the preseason.
.@KevKnox was on fire from deep.
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 20, 2020
52.9% from 3-point range this preseason. pic.twitter.com/zQJaGokLGq
In another bit of news that won’t surprise, Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. didn’t receive contract extensions on Monday, despite the fact that clubs were handing out big-money extensions to the likes of Markelle Fultz (three years, $50 million) and Luke Kennard (four years, $64 million). Both Ntilikina and Smith will hit the market in the summer as restricted free agents, assuming they remain on an NBA roster.