I'm not sure if this season showcases the best that Immanuel Quickley is capable of, but he has still performed consistently in the games he has been able to play, especially given his extended time on the injured reserve list for Toronto.
He's been solid for sure, but whether he can live up to that hefty $175 million price tag over the next five years... I'm not so sure about that.
Did the Raptors overpay for Immanuel Quickley as a good but not great guard?
Alright, hear me out before you jump in. I understand that a franchise like Toronto may need to spend what seems like a lot just to keep their star players and talent in the city. This sentiment clearly influenced their approach with Quickley. It would be downright silly to give up a player like OG Anunoby for just a short-term rental of IQ; so re-signing him was absolutely essential.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t change the reality that Quickley is certainly earning a solid paycheck for what he contributes to the Raptors. Do I believe he can elevate his game further? Absolutely. I recently wrote a piece on how a healthy Quickley could have provided a huge boost for the Toronto Raptors this season.
The Raptors were, and continue to be, winning games without him. Now, imagine if he had been active for a longer stretch; I know the play-in and late playoff territory aren't the most desirable, but that could have been where they were headed.
So, in that case, do the Raptors reconsider their deal and come to the conclusion that Quickley is more of a starting-level guard receiving star-level pay? I'd reckon most casual NBA fans and general basketball commentators may struggle to place Quickley among the top guards in the Eastern Conference right now. I wrote not long ago about how, on the Ryen Russillo podcast, he mentioned liking Quickley as a player—"until you have to pay him."
True, the East might not have an abundance of stars, but I’d wager that most would mention guards like Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, and Tyrese Maxey long before they think of IQ.
On the other hand, you also need to consider the direction the NBA is taking with its salary cap and the market value for players of Quickley's caliber. We are now in an era where even role players and veterans are receiving significant contracts to either stay with their teams or join new ones. In this context, Quickley's annual salary, which falls between the early and late $30 million mark over time, doesn’t seem quite as worrying.
Do I think a Brunson-level jump is inevitable for IQ? Not quite, but the possibility certainly exists, and Raptors fans should maintain faith in a similar (though perhaps not identical) scenario unfolding.
If it doesn't, is that necessarily the end of the world for Toronto? At his worst, Quickley might just hover around a middle-of-the-pack or fringe All-Star caliber talent level in the Eastern Conference, but I don't think he's going to be an atrocious player at his current deal's conclusion (barring serious injury or an unforeseen drop-off).
Although, looking at things from a realistic perspective, you cannot deny that, it is definitely an overpay as the deal currently stands right now. The same could even be said once the historic Scottie Barnes extension kicks in for Toronto's payroll, and I've already called out how Barnes taking another leap in his game is critical for the success of Toronto's vision moving forward.
As I mentioned before, it's not a knock on Quickley's talents, game, or potential at all. No player wants their career to unfold on a linear trajectory; they earn these deals with the franchise's expectation that they'll live up to the number and then some. With that, the ball is in IQ's court to prove to the Raptors that he’s worth every penny and to solidify his status among the top guards in the Eastern Conference.