Baltimore basketball stars Immanuel Quickley and Jalen Smith hit the NBA jackpot this week
Immanuel Quickley and Jalen Smith have been linked together since each starred on the Baltimore high school circuit at John Carroll School and Mount St. Joseph High School, respectively.
The pair made history in 2018 when they became the first pair of Baltimore area players to each be named McDonald's All-Americans. The only previous time it was known to have occurred was in 1994 when Steve Wojciechowski of now defunct Cardinal Gibbons and Norman Nolan of Dunbar achieved the honor in the same season.
This week the pair celebrated again as each signed lucrative new NBA contracts totaling a combined $202 million. Quickley inked a five-year extension with the Toronto Raptors worth $35 million per year with all $175 million guaranteed. Smith signed a slightly more modest three-year free agent contract with the Chicago Bulls worth $27 million.
Smith was more decorated coming out of high school, twice being named the Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He was also twice name Baltimore Metro Player of the Year by VarsitySportsNetwork.com and The Baltimore Sun. Nicknamed "Sticks" because of his long slender legs, Smith was a 5-Star recruit who averaged 23.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and three blocks as a senior at St. Joe.
Smith attended the University of Maryland where he was named to the 2019 Big Ten All-Freshman Team and captured a slew of award in 2020, including Third Team All-American honors from Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, CBS Sports and the Associated Press, among others. He was also a All-Big Ten selection and a member of the conferences All-Defensive Team.
In 2020, Smith became a NBA lottery selection when he was taken 10th overall in the NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. He signed a four-year deal with the Suns worth $19.3 million including an $8.7 million signing bonus. In 2022 he was traded to the Indiana Suns and had earned $23 million in his NBA career heading into this off-season.
Quickley led John Carroll to the Baltimore Catholic League championship, over Smith's MSJ squad, as a sophomore, sinking the game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds to carry the Patriots to a 51-50 victory. The performance earned him All-Metro Player of the Year honors.
A top 25 national player according to most recruiting services, Quickley took his talents to the University of Kentucky where he starred for two seasons. In his second season he was named First Team All-SEC and SEC Player of the Year. He was also selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, at No. 25 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder before having his rights traded to the New York Knicks.
Quickley's four-year rookie deal with New York was worth a guaranteed $10.8 million with a $4.3 million signing bonus. In December of 2023 he was traded to Toronto and has played for the Raptors for the last season and a half, showing steady improvement as a point guard and a scorer.
He was rewarded this week with the massive new deal to stay with the Raptors.
By the time their current contracts expire, Quickley and Smith will have combined to earn nearly $240 million during their NBA careers.
GARY ADORNATO