RJ Barrett was the third-overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. His scoring average rose each season to an even 20.0 points per game in 2021-22. He signed a four-year contract extension worth $107 million this past summer.
But entering his fourth NBA campaign, Barrett still doesn’t believe he or the Knicks get a lot of respect around the league, and he offered a theory why before their 117-96 preseason win Tuesday night over the Pistons.
“Besides the fans, which we do have a lot of fans, everybody else really doesn’t like us,” Barrett said before scoring a team-high 21 points in 23 minutes. “I mean, I don’t know. … It’s weird.
“I’ve gotten respect, but at the same time, there’s also a lot of disrespect. But that’s fine. All the guys that they want to put in front of me or whatever, I’m in their heads, so it doesn’t really matter.”
In the latter part of that answer, Barrett was responding to a question about not being included on various lists in the annual NBA general managers survey, which was released earlier in the day, such as those projected to be the league’s breakout player this season.
Barrett also again pointed to his long-standing grudge over not being named an All-Rookie first-team or second-team selection following his first season with the Knicks in 2019-20.
“I wasn’t on an All-Rookie team and look where I ended up,” Barrett said. “Where are some of those guys, you know what I mean?”
The first team that season featured Memphis superstar Ja Morant and Barrett’s former Duke teammate, Zion Williamson, along with Brandon Clarke, Kendrick Nunn and Eric Paschall. The second team was Tyler Herro, Terence Davis II, Coby White, P.J. Washington and Rui Hachimura.
Barrett’s four-year contract extension can be worth up to $120 million, including incentives, but Herro re-signed with Miami for $130 million guaranteed over the same span. All-Star guard Darius Garland also re-upped for five years and $193 million with the Cavaliers.
“Everybody thinks they’re worth more than they got. That’s probably literally every person. I’m thankful, and I was taught to not watch other people’s pockets,” said Barrett, who would’ve been eligible for a bigger deal if he had waited until next summer. “My thought was I wanted to get a deal done, because like I’ve always said, I always wanted to be here. So I was trying to lock it in.”
Quentin Grimes (foot), Jericho Sims (groin) and DaQuan Jefferies (concussion protocol) were out for the Knicks.