Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks In A Nutshell – Even Tim Hardaway Jr. Was Surprised He Got Offered A $71M Contract

This might be the most Knicks thing ever.

In 2013, the New York Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. On June 25, 2015, Hardaway was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the draft rights to Jerian Grant. On June 22, 2016, Grant was traded (along with José Calderón and Robin Lopez) to the Chicago Bulls for Derrick Rose. On July 6, 2017, Hardaway received a four-year, $71 million offer sheet from the Knicks, to replace Rose. Possibly the worst contract of this offseason.

The New York Knicks broke the bank to bring back Tim. Even Hardaway himself couldn’t believe how much money he was offered.

Hardaway was "surprised" the Knicks wanted him. Said he's a more "mature" player now

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) July 10, 2017

Hardaway said the Knicks told him that he has to improve a lot on defense and even more on offense. Wait, throughout the next 4 years, the Knicks will pay a player $16.50M, $17.32M, $18.15M and $18.97M, that needs to improve a lot on both ends of the floor? This is just outrageous.

Tim on Knicks: "They said straight up, ‘You have to obviously improve a lot more on defense and improve a lot more on the offensive end.’"

— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) July 10, 2017

This means that Hardaway Jr., who averaged 14.5 points per game last season, will earn more in the next 4 years, than his father, a 5-time All Star and 5-time All NBA Team member, has made in his entire 14 year NBA career.

Hardaway said he even feels pressure, due to his larger-than-expected-by-everyone-even-himself contract, and said:

 

“Yes, obviously there’s pressure, but you gotta embrace it. You gotta take that to heart. I’m ready to do whatever I have to do to help this team succeed as a ballplayer on and off the court.”

It turns out, with or without Phil Jackson, not matter who’s running things, the Knicks will always be the Knicks.

knicks: basically everything you do is bad

hardaway: but you’re still gonna pay me that $71 mill, right?

knicks: o yea don’t worry https://t.co/Cbh2mWicS6

— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) July 10, 2017