The true March Madness had nothing to do with Ja Morant or Richard Pitino beating his dad’s old school

Instead, in a six-day frenzy this week, nine extensions worth nearly $916 million were finalized. The biggest upset in this round of March Madness — none went to Jacob deGrom.

Time remains. DeGrom pledged not to talk contract during the season. Brodie Van Wagenen has demonstrated he is a showman, so perhaps a deal arrives as a positive jolt for the team and fan base as Thursday’s deadline approaches. But on Saturday, deGrom said he was not as optimistic now as earlier this spring that an extension would get done.

There is always next offseason, before deGrom’s walk year. Not long ago, it was uncommon for players to ebb so close to free agency and sign long term. But free agency has become a more unpleasant — and now often less lucrative — affair for players. Thus, Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Sale, Ryan Pressly and Justin Verlander all agreed to extensions in the last week to remove themselves a year before free agency, as Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Aaron Hicks and Miles Mikolas had done weeks earlier.

Sale’s five-year, $145 extension before his walk year could serve as a general framework of what deGrom could expect next offseason. The two pitchers have similar per nine-inning stats for items such as hits, walks and strikeouts. Sale, though, is a year younger and has by far the better career numbers. Despite Tommy John surgery in his past, deGrom likely projects as a better health risk with a less excruciating delivery, way fewer innings and less recent injury history — Sale finished each of the last two seasons with arm issues, notably last year when he twice in the second half went to the DL for shoulder inflammation.

“He’s a little bit closer to free agency than me, so I have to sit down with my agents again and go over some things to fully understand where we would like to be,” deGrom told reporters after his Saturday start.

The Mets could table negotiations to gather 12 more months of information. That mitigates risk, but also could end up costing more — in money, clubhouse goodwill and fury from the fan base. There also is the question about the shape of this rotation moving forward.

Front and center to Van Wagenen’s assessment on why the Mets should not rebuild was a rotation brilliant enough to win now. But Zack Wheeler is about to enter his walk year and sources said there had yet to be substantial traction on a long-term deal. DeGrom is free after 2020, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard after 2021.

The strength of the farm system is positional. Perhaps lefties Anthony Kay or David Peterson can break through beginning next season. But the Mets are not blessed with many near-MLB-ready starters with a chance to be impactful in the view of outside talent evaluators.

The Mets can always turn to the market to try to find replacements. But the Mets — and every team — are going to have to consider the complexion of future trade and free-agent arenas as part of the decision making. Just what will these realms look like if more and more players are signing extensions?

The Mets could conceivably have attractive trade pieces. Imagine Yoenis Cespedes coming back strong and making Brandon Nimmo more expendable. The Mets have a talented shortstop glut with Amed Rosario plus well-regarded prospects Andres Gimenez and Ronny Mauricio.

But starters such as Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco and Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell, who both could have been in play as early as this July, signed extensions. It would be no surprise if the small-market Rays eventually deal Snell. The five-year extension the AL Cy Young winner signed this week almost certainly assures it will not be the next season or two.

And, obviously, trading for a starter will entail giving up talent — arguably more if there are fewer high-end trade candidates.

So how about the free-agent market? Sale, Verlander, Mikolas and Gray all extended before their walk year. Madison Bumgarner, Gerrit Cole, Cole Hamels and Rick Porcello remain. But extension season is not done and if there are fewer top alternatives in the free-agent market, won’t that drive up the cost? If so, are the Mets better off simply just paying to retain pitchers they know best, as long as they believe in the near futures of deGrom and Wheeler?

Isn’t their price worth meeting to keep a strength intact? Extensions for deGrom and Wheeler would mean the Mets keep their Big Three at least until Syndergaard’s free-agent eligibility after the 2021 season. It is easier to find solutions for the bottom of a rotation than a top, better to let the Kays and Petersons mix in as supplementary pieces and not under the burden of having to be more than that.

Nineteen extensions were bestowed since Jan. 1, including five to aces: Sale, Snell, Verlander, Luis Severino and Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola. The Mets have a few more days to add deGrom to that list, to become part of March Madness, to help stabilize their rotation moving forward.