NBA
RJ Barrett signs extension with Knicks, does it mean anything about Donovan Mitchell?
Jon is a current senior at Penn State University, majoring in journalism and minoring in sports studies. Jon was a member of the D1 baseball team before injuring his shoulder. He loves the Milwaukee Bucks and writing about various different sports.
All posts by Jon ConahanUpdated30 Aug 2022
The New York Knicks made a wise decision to extend youngster RJ Barrett to a contract extension. With the looming rumors that Donovan Mitchell will end up in a Knicks jersey, how does this affect New York?
Adrian Wojnarowski broke it down a bit:
“The Knicks did include Barrett in trade proposals for Mitchell, sources said, which is why the process to complete the extension lasted several additional weeks. Barrett was a staple of several different trade variations discussed, but hurdles remained Monday about the total of unprotected first-round picks in the deal and the inclusion of Knicks guard Quentin Grimes, sources said.
Nevertheless, the Jazz greatly valued Barrett as part of any Mitchell deal with New York, and a deal without him would require the Knicks to relinquish far more draft assets than they’ve shown a willingness to do, sources said.”
Knicks Might Have To Trade Quentin Grimes Now
Adrian Wojnarowski had the following to report on the situation:
“Barrett’s deal — which makes him the youngest $100 million player in Knicks history at 22 years old — ends several weeks of trade discussions for Mitchell between New York and Utah, and forces the two organizations, if they choose, to start over talks with significantly different considerations because of the poison pill provision now in Barrett’s deal.
New York president of basketball operations Leon Rose set a Monday night deadline with Utah to reach an agreement on a trade for Mitchell or the Knicks would commit to the Barrett extension, sources said.
While the Jazz-Knicks trade talks intensified and the gap on deal points that included Barrett in the package tightened over the weekend and into Monday, there remained a gulf on reaching a trade for Mitchell, sources said. Once the Knicks and Jazz exhausted discussions Monday night, Rose and Duffy finalized the extension eligible to players out of the 2019 NBA draft class”
This Doesn’t Mean The Knicks Can’t Get Donovan Mitchell
If the Knicks were smart about this deal, they wouldn’t have traded RJ Barrett to begin with. Quentin Grimes might be a very good player in this league one day, but Donovan Mitchell is a proven player in this league and going after him would be wise for New York.
