Immanuel Quickley's new 5-year, $175M deal with Raptors gets seal of approval from his former coach John Calipari

On Friday, reports claimed that Immanuel Quickley agreed to a blockbuster five-year, $175 million contract with the Toronto Raptors. John Calipari, who coached the player at Kentucky, was quite thrilled for the former New York Knicks forward.

Calipari tweeted a heartfelt message for Quickley after learning of the Raptors star's lucrative deal. He also mentioned how the player worked hard in college and followed the disciplinary path to success.

"I’m so happy for Immanuel Quickly and his new contract. He’s truly a player that builds culture within an organization. He lived in the gym and believed in the process. HE BET ON HIMSELF!!! I’m happy for @IQ_GodSon and the @Raptors!"

Quickley and Calipari worked together at Kentucky for two seasons, from 2018 to 2020. The player declared for the 2020 NBA Draft and was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 25 pick, before being traded to the New York Knicks.

Quickley spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Knicks as a bench player before he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in December 2023. He was given a greater workload at Toronto and thrived on the added responsibility.

In just a matter of months, Quickley became a fan-favorite with the Raptors faithful. He featured in 38 games for Toronto last season and averaged career-highs of 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Furthermore, he led the team with 39.5% shooting from three-point range.

With a mammoth new deal on the table for Quickley, it's fair to say that the Raptors are putting their trust in the former Kentucky star to deliver the goods soon.

A glimpse into Immanuel Quickley's college baseball career

Kentucky Wildcats star Immanuel Quickley (Image Credits - IMAGN)

Despite playing only two seasons at Kentucky, Immanuel Quickley made an impression on the team. He made 67 appearances for the program, averaging 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Quickley was a First-Team All-SEC selection in 2020 and was named the SEC Player of the Year by the coaches in his final season with the Wildcats.