Breaking down Kevin Knox’s contract with the New York Knicks

After being the star on a Sweet 16 squad with the Kentucky Wildcats, Kevin Knox took his talents to the NBA after just one season in Lexington. Knox was projected to fall in the later end of the lottery, but he would up sneaking into the top-10 with the New York Knicks, who selected him ninth overall.

Knox, their first choice in the 2018 draft, signed his rookie contract back in July. With the 2018-19 NBA season beginning soon, we decided to take a look at what Knox’s first NBA contract will pay him in the coming years.

His salary will break down as follows, according to Spotrac:

• Rookie year: $3,739,920
• Second year: $4,380,120
• Third year: $4,588,680
• Fourth year: $5,845,978
• Fifth year: $7,921,301

The third and fourth years of Knox’s contract are team options, with the fifth being a qualifying offer they can extend to him if his agent, Aaron Turner, and the team don’t agree to an extension before then.

If Knox plays on the qualifying offer in his fifth season, he’ll then become a restricted free agent, and the Knicks can match any offer that he is given.

Entering the NBA at barely 19 years of age, Knox is set to earn his big payday by a mere 23 or 24. Depending on the next contract he signs, he could cash in yet again when he’s just entering his prime at 27 or 28.

Knox is set to be just the 11th-highest paid player on the Knicks this season, taking up just 3.38% of their cap sheet. Given the scale of his contract, Knox’s bargain of a cap hit over the next five seasons should allow the Knicks to have extreme flexibility in free agency.

For example, if they cut ties with Joakim Noah and find a taker for Tim Hardaway Jr.’s contract, they could find themselves not only taking care of franchise star Kristaps Porzingis but also in the hunt for All-Stars like Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

As he displayed in his NBA Summer League performance, Knox is sure to immediately impact the team as a focal point on the offense. Having such valuable player on a cheap deal is a major win for the Knicks, similar to the gem they found in Porzingis.

It’s a big “IF,” but if the Knicks can take care of Porzingis and use their cap space wisely, Knox should be in a quality situation playing in the Big Apple.