In the wake of the agreement between the Jazz and Cavaliers on a trade that will send Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, details are trickling in on what the Knicks – long rumored to be Mitchell’s top suitor – offered for the three-time All-Star.
Not every outlet is entirely in alignment on what the Knicks put on the table for Mitchell, but the various reports paint a pretty clear picture of what it would’ve taken for the Jazz to send the 25-year-old to New York. Here’s what a few key national and local reporters are saying:
According to Wojnarowski, before extending RJ Barrett, the Knicks balked at including Quentin Grimes in a package that already featured Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 first-rounder (top-four protected), two second-round picks, two pick swaps, and a pair of expiring contracts from a third team.
When the Knicks wanted to replace Grimes in that package with Immanuel Quickley, the Jazz insisted on a third unprotected first-round pick, which the Knicks weren’t willing to give up, according to Wojnarowski, who says New York would’ve sent Evan Fournier and a first-round pick to a third team in order to spare Utah from having to take on Fournier’s multiyear contract.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Wojnarowski’s report is his claim that the Knicks made an offer in early July that would’ve included Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson (via sign-and-trade), and three unprotected first-round picks. When the Jazz turned down that proposal, Robinson re-signed with New York, which took him out of the mix for any further negotiations between the two teams.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports:
Goodwill’s intel is similar to Wojnarowski’s — he hears from sources that the Jazz and Knicks got close to a deal that would’ve included Barrett, Grimes, expiring contracts, two first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 pick, a pair of pick swaps, and two second-rounders. However, New York felt that price was too steep and decided to extend Barrett instead.
Marc Berman of The New York Post:
One of the Knicks’ last offers to Utah included two unprotected first-rounders and three conditional picks along with Barrett, according to Berman, who says it’s unclear whether the team was offering three unprotected first-rounders in permutations of the deal that didn’t include Barrett.
Berman suggests (via Twitter) that the Knicks withheld Grimes from all of their offers. That’s a little hard to believe, given how many different versions of deals the two sides discussed, but it sounds like New York wasn’t interested in adding the second-year guard as a sweetener to offers that already included Barrett and significant draft capital.
“(The Knicks) thought they had (Jazz CEO Danny) Ainge and Utah over the barrel,” one league source said to Berman. “They held back on best offers of picks and players and Danny got his three unprotected.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News:
Bondy confirms that the Knicks weren’t willing to give up three unprotected first-round picks along with Barrett.
However, he says the team was open to moving any of its top prospects, including Grimes — again, presumably if they were going to include Grimes in certain iterations of their offer, the Knicks would’ve wanted to remove another asset or two.
According to Begley, the Knicks did make offers for Mitchell that included three unprotected first-round picks, but Barrett wasn’t part of those packages.
Begley also reports that the Knicks offered different combinations of players in their proposals that featured two unprotected first-rounders and the Bucks’ lightly protected 2025 pick — some of those offers included Barrett and some didn’t (while Begley doesn’t confirm this, it sounds as if Grimes was probably put into some offers that didn’t include Barrett).
At one point, Begley writes, the Jazz asked for a package that included Barrett, Evan Fournier, three unprotected first-rounders, additional draft picks, and at least one other young Knick player. New York opted not to meet that price.
It’s worth noting that the Knicks themselves are likely to be one of the primary sources leaking these after-the-fact details. The Jazz wouldn’t have much incentive to leak packages that they could’ve had instead of Cleveland’s, whereas the Knicks may be hoping to convey the impression they made a strong play for Mitchell and made fair proposals.
With that in mind, it’s worth taking these reports with a grain of salt — it’s possible a key detail or two is being omitted. Still, there’s a pretty consistent message that the Knicks were, at the very least, willing to trade Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, and some additional draft compensation for Mitchell.
It will be fascinating to follow the trajectories of Barrett and new Jazz players like Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji in the coming years to assess whether Utah made the right call by passing on the Knicks’ offers and pulling the trigger on the Cavs’ deal.
Agbaji is amazing, I love the deal for Utah
RJ Barrett is gonna blow up this year.
For the lst time in a long time, I’m proud to be a Knicks fan. So glad they passed on Donovan Mitchell, because he was never a big need. Kudos to the front office, and thank you for giving RJ Barrett that well deserved extension. The Knicks did the right thing here. It just took a while.
He might but the team is going nowhere
Maybe. I would love it as a fan, but he really, really needs to improve his outside shot. He has way too many games where he’ll shoot like 4-13, which, when you couple it with Randle’s inevitable 5-17 (or worse), means the Knicks lose. I’m hoping he can build on some of his more aggressive games and take over and make this ‘his’ team. Then there’s less pressure on Randle to jack up a ton of shots and they can play a looser, more team-oriented style of ball.
Knicks offered a pretty good package, one that wouldn’t even really have upgraded their team. Probably would have been slightly worse overall.
Well on to the next disgruntled superstar or GM looking to blow things up and start over. ‘Hi Chad Buchanan, this is Leon Rose, do you have a moment to discuss Myles Turner and Buddy Hield?’
Only other available dudes are in Utah or maybe Charlotte, excluding WB, Duncan Rob, and Bertans.
@phillyballers- Nah, the Knicks should now focus of the Shai Alexander kid from OKC. He is definitely a bigger need for the Knicks then Donovan Mitchell. Rose, Grimes, Quickley, Reddish and 3#1’s and 2 second rounders should definitely get that done.
Why would OKC give up SGA tho?
When have the Knicks gotten a star by trade or free agency in the last 20 years? Melo and Amare more than a decade ago is it. Maybe in another 20 years. Seems like you can’t just ignore a guy who is a top 15 guy proven in the playoffs
Honestly, the Jazz’s young core doesn’t look half bad. Talen-Horton Tucker at PG, Sexton at SG, Agbaji at SF, Vanderbilt at PF, and Markkanen at C (he is actually a decent rim protector; the closer to the rim opponents tried to score against him, the more their percentages dipped). Swap Sexton and THT around if you like. I don’t see that as a remotely contending roster, but they have a foundation already.
More importantly they have more unprotected picks from other teams than any team other than maybe OKC. Danny is the big winner here overall.
Markannen is NOT a rim protector he is a tall softee ice cream cone
stevep- I love when people make statements like these after facts and evidence are provided.
Context is everything. Three unprotected firsts and Barrett, or even two and Barrett and Grimes is an absurd overpay for NYK. It would have essentially locked them into a roster that’s MAYBE as good as Chicago right now?
Cleveland’s package was more than that, depending on how you view Sexton. But Cleveland also has way more pieces in place than NYK: it has a franchise point guard, a potentially generational defender, and a borderline All Star starting center.
The Knicks, by contrast, have Julius Randle and a #3 pick who may end being anywhere from a low-level All-NBA player to an average starter. And Jalen Brunson.
Glad they’re locked into a roster paying RJ, Randle, Fournier and Brunson 400 million lol. Good luck
You know, on some level, I understand people who irrationally hate Boston, or LeBron, or LA, or institutions that have had an inordinate amount of success – but the Knicks have been trash for like 30 years.
Yet you littler every one of these threads with pure Knick vitriol.
Yeah, I don’t understand the Knicks trolls, either. They’ve been… terrible, and for like two decades. Not even the most fervent, insane Knicks fans would dispute this. What are the trolls going to say that Knicks fans don’t already?
Low hanging fruit syndrome…everyone wants to try and play smart on the internet….Knicks suck is about the smartest thing these folks can come up with without fear of backlash or disproven
* Imo, on the website, as a collective whole, the Knicks have the smartest fans of any fanbase and I can’t even think whoes 2nd-
I’ll never get the Knick hate tho, I have zero ties but as a basketball fan, man, basketballs better when’s there’s meaningful games being played at the Garden late season/playoffs and Im not talking Syracuse
Utah will have a better record than the Knicks this year, bet
I hopefully hope your wrong, like most likely of the time. Lmao! So what did you think of Ken Waldichuk yesterday? Wait to you see my boi Luis Medina, that dude can hurl. I saw him hit 103 this year! He is definitely the best of the bunch. With Sears also, Oakland got a great offer.
Lol damage control from the same guys that have been wrong time & time again
I’m wondering that with the whole Boston- New York sports rivalries thing that Ainge could have been asking for more from the Knicks to sort of grind them a little more than another random team like the Cavs? Do you guys think that may have been part of this whole scenario? Or no?
Ainge is from Oregon not Boston lol. Knicks are the epitome of a random nba team
I know Ainge was born and raised in Oregon. But professionally he was in Boston for many, many years though and could be holding on to that big Hub rivalry? Just a thought. Sort of like he would do to the Lakers, ask for way more than any of the other teams.
Haven’t heard this mentioned but it’s definitely possible. I mean, it definitely worked the OTHER way when McHale traded Danny Garnett in 07.
Having said that I think Ainge is calculating enough to take the highest bid. But I’m sure he enjoyed demanding the world of NY only to ultimately take a better offer from Cleveland.
Knicks were smart to not blow up the house. They should add a top free agent to that core to compete for Conference championships. Then keep stocking the shelves with the picks by drafting and trading.
Let em win 1 series before we start talkin conf titles lol
for someone that yells at people for “hating” you’re taking cheap shots at the knicks…but i’m not complaining i also hate the knicks
Knicks finish with a better record than the Hawks. 10 seed coming in hot
He’s only talking ‘conference titles’ if the Knicks ‘add a top free agent’ (which, as we’ve seen, is highly unlikely for them). Reading is key.
The young core doesn’t play. Thibs plays Rose, Fournier, Randle etc over them
If the Jazz truly turned down Barrett, Robinson, Toppin and 3 unprotected first round picks for Mitchell they will be regretting that for a long time. That package is much better than what the Cavs gave up. Barrett >> Sexton. Robinson > Markkanen. Toppin and Kessler are at best a wash due to the unknown.
It’s possible Danny was straight out the Gobert fleecing and was trying to push his luck, maybe a little too far
Also very possible the offer was never formally made
Kessler was from the Rudy deal. Ochai was the rookie from the Cavs. I know it’s confusing with all the players and picks the Jazz are swimming in. Lol. Just messin’
The Jazz would’ve had to do a side trade to free up enough capspace to do that first offer. Robinson and Barrett would’ve likely been re-signed first and would’ve pushed the Jazz back into the Luxury tax.
However, I highly doubt that this offer was exactly the deal that was offered. That or unless they didn’t like Robinson for some reason?
Jazz did not want long term contracts like Barrett’s and Mitch and Kessler wasn’t in this trade.
RJ hasn’t proven a thing to earn 30 million a year. He’s no better than Sexton. Okay numbers on bad teams
It’s only $30M per if he hits all of his initiatives. I’d say he’s worth $26M in todays market.
Except RJ didn’t have a long term contract at the time of the offers.
I’m so glad to hear that the Jazz didn’t want RJ Barrett, if that’s true. I got news for you. They we’re never getting him anyway, despite reports saying they we’re. Trader Danny and The Jazz are delusional.
I’d always heard from Day 1 that they didn’t want to have to re-sign him. Didn’t think he was worth a max extension, which is what was rumored to be the price. Isn’t Robinson around $20M/year?
These Cavs contracts are more inline with what the Jazz were looking for, moneywise. Sexton’s contract is only $18M/year compared to $26M/year for RJ. Both are similar in talent, both good but inconsistent, but also different in other ways.
I would’ve liked that first offer from the Knicks. However, I’ve realized that this whole time I get this depressed feeling from Knicks players like they are sad all the time. Not sure I’d want that brought over to the young Jazz squad they have now. Donovan would’ve elevated the remaining Knicks. Now we’ll never know either way.
If the Woj offer is correct (and assuming the swaps are unprotected, like CLE’s are), then the NYK offers (with Barrett or Grimes) were better than the one UTH eventually accepted. In terms of unprotected 1st’s, 2 plus 2 swaps from NYK would IMO be a better haul than 3 plus 2 swaps from CLE. It will take awhile, but I guess it’s in the “we’ll see” category. CLE has their own history of lottery appearances, but their key guys are young and controllable through the period of the picks.