The trade market heading into next month’s NBA training camp is going to be extremely hot. While there is going to be no movement for the players in Brooklyn like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, there is expected to be an exodus of players from the Utah Jazz. The team still has players from their competitive core on the roster despite the team’s efforts to blow it up and start from scratch.
The best available player in Utah is Donovan Mitchell and it looks like the New York Knicks are trying to acquire him with every asset they have. This includes their 2019 3rd overall pick RJ Barrett, who has been included in possible trade offers and was given a big extension by the Knicks yesterday.
Shams Charania believes Barrett’s contract doesn’t change his possible value as a trade asset that the Knicks could use, but that the Knicks are trying to use a package of young players like Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, and Obi Toppin along with unprotected first-round picks to get Utah to relent.
https://twitter.com/clutchpointsapp/status/1564734008080351232
“When people saw that RJ Barrett is going to sign this lucrative 4-year extension, the thought is he is out of a potential package. I am told the Knicks will continue to pursue Domovan Mitchell via this trade. RJ Barrett, it is not expected that he will be ruled out of any potential trade. I am told through various sources that RJ Barrett could end up being in the trade depending on the framework of the deal.”
“We’ll see what takes place between now and the start of training camp in terms of what else the Knicks can put in terms of young assets. Whether it is unprotected first-round picks of young players such as Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, and Immanuel Quickley.”
Considering the Knicks are basically bidding against themselves, they should be careful about how they do this trade. Mitchell is a fantastic player and would make them instantly formidable. However, a lack of bench depth may come back to bite the team later.
In addition, if the Knicks manage to keep Barrett and give up picks and depth, they will be severely limited in adjusting the roster in the future due to the contracts that Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are already on. Despite that, they will continue pushing for Mitchell, especially with the Jazz possibly wanting their roster sorted out by training camp.
