If Patrick Williams is getting 4 years $90 million, then I fear we are screwed with iHart.

It’s 5 years, not 4, the AAV is 18 just like our 4/72 for I-Hart
(I know I-Hart is better, but we’re a winning team, the Bulls not so much 😉 )

The timing of PG13 opting out is also an indicator. Philly has available cap room now.

Or separately he may be thinking about Julius, Jalen, and Mikal’s extensions and trying to figure out how they could all work. iHart is the most fungible of those players, and so, probably like the other interested execs, Leon is prioritizing other players before him.

I’m pretty sure iHart is gone.

I think if it were certain, we’d have seen other moves. I think teams indicated they might offer but, unlike the OG situation, no one made a hard commitment. (Again, despite the rules, if y’all don’t think these things are pre-negotiated you’re nuts.) OG got his commitment because at least one team indicated that, “were a player like that available, he would be their top priority and they’d max him.” No qualifications. iHart probably has more like, “we think a player like that would be worth 4/100” (or maybe less, like 4/90), “but we need to see how a few things break first.” He’s waiting to see, and so are the Knicks.

I think the FO did an amazing job creating flexibility through the draft: they made more picks than they had going in, added some cash and future picks, and still came away with the backup point they coveted,a high upside pick in Pacome, and 2 picks they can use to create space for iHart if he decides to return. I can be critical of them for being too clever by half sometimes, but here their acumen helped put them in a position to roll with whatever punch comes their way.

I still think iHart will get at least 4/80. If that’s it, I bet he comes back. If it’s 4/90 or more, probably not – but my guess is that it’s 50/50 right now and no one knows, not even the execs who indicated they’d be open to making an offer.

I don’t know if we can afford to lose Deuce with this many rookies on the team. If Kolek is a miss, then he’s almost a necessity.