The Knicks didn’t make much of a splash when the NBA free agency period started last weekend. But they changed that on Thursday night when they offered a ridiculous amount of money to restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr., who spent his first two seasons in the NBA with the Knicks before being traded to the Hawks back in June 2015 for the draft rights to Jerian Grant.
According to league sources who spoke with ESPN, the Knicks signed Hardaway Jr. to a massive four-year, $71 million offer sheet. And while the Hawks will now have 48 hours to match that offer and retain Hardaway Jr., the thought is that the Hawks will likely let him walk so that he can make his return to New York City. Atlanta head coach Mike Budenholzer said that retaining Hardaway Jr. was going to be one of the team’s top priorities this offseason, but $71 million is probably going to be too much for them to match.
In theory, that should make Knicks fans happy. As we mentioned, they haven’t been able to add many key pieces to their team this offseason, so signing Hardaway Jr. would be, if nothing else, a sign that the team is committed to trying to get better. Hardaway Jr. averaged a career-high 14.5 points per game last season, and at 25, he’s still young enough to get even better in the coming years. But is he really $71 million good at this point in his career?!
NBA fans aren’t so sure. This looks like the kind of contract that the Knicks will regret within just a few months, much like the deal that Joakim Noah signed with the team last summer. And while there are a few Knicks fans here and there celebrating the move, the overwhelming response to the news about Hardaway Jr. has been, "Um, what?!" Take a look at how most NBA fans reacted below:
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Who knows? Maybe this move will work out for the Knicks, and Steve Mills, who has been serving as the team’s general manager ever since they parted ways with Phil Jackson, will look like a genius in a few years. But as of right now, it doesn’t appear as though there are too many fans who believe Hardaway Jr. is a $71 million player. And after all of the bad free agency signings the Knicks have made over the years, can you blame them for being skeptical?
