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Latest On Donovan Mitchell

July 16th, 2022 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

A potential Donovan Mitchell trade could be an “extended process” rather than an imminent event, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (video link).

Utah is “talking throughout the league,” but there are not everyday negotiations going on involving the All-Star guard, according to Wojnarowski, who says the Jazz have “time on their side” due to Mitchell being signed through the 2025/26 season (including a player option in the final year).

Utah exec Danny Ainge has a reputation of waiting teams out to get the best possible trade package. “I think it’s going to be the same thing with Donovan Mitchell,” Wojnarowski said, though he added that the Knicks are a “motivated suitor.”

We have more on the Mitchell trade front:

According to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, the notion that the Jazz were not open to offers for Mitchell prior to this week is a false narrative. They had discussed Mitchell trades before Rudy Gobert was dealt to the Timberwolves.
ESPN’s Insiders look at five potential Mitchell deals involving the Knicks, Heat, Raptors, Thunder and a four-way swap. Responding to ESPN’s proposed trades, Larsen tweets that the proposed packages from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Oklahoma City would all fall short of what the Jazz are seeking. ESPN’s hypothetical four-team deal involving Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Deandre Ayton might’ve appealed most to Utah, according to Larsen, but it’s no longer an option now that Ayton is back under contract with Phoenix.
With the Knicks apparently ready to give up a boatload of assets for Mitchell, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post looks at past deals for star players that failed to turn the fortunes of the franchise.
Dealing Mitchell would be the best thing for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News opines. After dealing Gobert, the Jazz would have to give up numerous assets in trades just to remain in the playoff picture if they retain Mitchell.
A group of ESPN analysts explored some potential trade packages for Mitchell on NBA Today (video link).

Stein’s Latest: Mitchell, Knicks, Sixers, Lakers, Beverley

July 15th, 2022 at 7:46pm CST by Rory Maher

New York’s impending pursuit of Jalen Brunson became obvious once a Knicks contingent led by Julius Randle, William Wesley and Allan Houston was spotted at Game 1 of the first-round series between the Mavericks and Jazz. However, as Marc Stein writes in his lastest article for Substack, it’s clear now that New York had designs on pursuing Donovan Mitchell as well as Brunson.

Recent reports from Tony Jones of The Athletic and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune indicate that the Jazz are looking for six first-round picks and young players in exchange for Mitchell, but the Knicks balked at that asking price. According to Stein, even if the Knicks have more draft picks to offer at the moment, they should be “careful not to underestimate” the Heat and Nets as potential Mitchell suitors.

Under president Leon Rose, the Knicks have unsuccessfully pursued other star players, which is why it’s so important to the incumbent regime to land a player of Mitchell’s stature, Stein says.

Here’s more from Stein:

Mitchell has multiple ties to the Knicks, Stein adds. Mitchell is “very close” with Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant, who was an assistant with the Jazz for several seasons and recently had multiple interviews for Utah’s head coaching job. He’s also friends with Brunson due to their shared connection with Eric Paschall, who is Mitchell’s closest friend in the NBA and was college teammates with Brunson at Villanova, per Stein.
Like the Knicks’ pursuit of Brunson, the Sixers are likely to face a tampering investigation due to the signing of P.J. Tucker, according to Stein, who reported four days before free agency opened that several rival teams were convinced that Tucker would land with Philadelphia. Stein and others had linked Tucker to the Sixers even before the draft, a week before free agency opened, and Stein notes that Tucker’s agent informed Shams Charania of The Athletic that he was heading to Philly a minute after free agency opened.
It has been rumored that the Lakers might be interested in Jazz guard Patrick Beverley, but a source tells Stein that L.A. has no plans to deal Talen Horton-Tucker for the veteran. The Lakers have been prioritizing speed and youth in the offseason, so swapping a 21-year-old for a 34-year-old would detract from that, Stein notes. Horton-Tucker had been floated as a possibility because the Lakers don’t have any other mid-size contracts for salary-matching purposes — he’ll make $10.26MM in 2022/23, while Beverley will earn $13MM.

Jazz Reportedly Asking Knicks For Three Players, Six First-Rounders In Mitchell Talks

July 15th, 2022 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are pursuing a trade for Donovan Mitchell, but they’re balking at Utah’s current asking price, Tony Jones of The Athletic said in an interview with ESPN 700 in Salt Lake City (hat tip to Real GM).

According to Jones, the Jazz want Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin in the deal, along with six future first-round picks. Jones said New York “backed away” from that proposal.

The Knicks have been stockpiling assets in hopes of landing a major star and currently own 11 first-round selections over the next seven years. They can part with up to eight of those first-rounders in a trade, notes Steve Popper of Newsday, but he wonders how many the organization would be willing to surrender, especially if it’s also giving up young talent.

Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune confirms that the Jazz are seeking a large return of draft assets from New York, along with players on rookie contracts, and he identifies Grimes as “perhaps the lead target” among players who could be included in the deal. Larsen adds that the Knicks don’t want to give away that much of their future, but they made a “significant” counter to Utah’s offer.

Multiple sources tell Larsen that RJ Barrett, the third pick in the 2019 draft, wasn’t part of the trade talks. Barrett is eligible for an extension to his rookie contract this offseason, and Utah isn’t eager to take on that expense.

The Jazz would have to take back at least one sizeable contract from New York to match Mitchell’s $30.35MM salary for next season. That probably won’t be Julius Randle ($23.76MM in 2022/23), according to one of Larsen’s sources, who says that Evan Fournier ($18MM) or Derrick Rose ($14.52MM) is more likely to be included.

Jazz, Knicks Discussing Donovan Mitchell Trade

July 13th, 2022 at 10:46pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz and Knicks are discussing a deal that would send Donovan Mitchell to New York, sources tell Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic.

According to The Athletic’s duo, the Jazz are listening to offers from multiple teams, but the Knicks have become the “focused destination.” Both teams have discussed the framework of a potential deal in the past 24 hours, Charania and Jones report.

New York possesses several future first-round picks and young players to package for the three-time All-Star, including second-year guard Quentin Grimes, whom the Jazz are believed to be interested in, sources tell The Athletic. Grimes was the No. 25 pick of the 2021 draft, shot 38.1% from three-point range as a rookie while playing solid defense, and has had a strong Summer League performance in Las Vegas over the past week.

Utah is focused on a return centered around draft picks and players on rookie scale contracts, per Charania and Jones. Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported earlier today that the Jazz were keying in on a draft pick-centric package.

After Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said the Jazz are open to moving any of the players acquired from the Timberwolves, Charania and Jones go a step further, saying that there are no untouchable players on Utah’s roster, and all of the team’s veterans have been made available. Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and Jordan Clarkson have all drawn interest in trade talks, sources tell The Athletic.

The Jazz apparently view draft picks as the best way to rebuild the roster, with CEO Danny Ainge recently discussing the subject of the team’s limitations following the Rudy Gobert trade.

“You’re over the tax, no draft picks, and our team loses in the first round,” Ainge said on Saturday. “It wasn’t fun for us. We want it to be fun for our fans and our players, but we just haven’t had much flexibility to do anything over the last little while.”

The Knicks are motivated to present a “significant package” for Mitchell, according to Charania and Jones, but as Begley wrote, they’re wary of giving up too much because they want to have enough depth to be a contender in the East.

The Athletic’s duo says there’s “incredible interest” on the Knicks’ side to bring the 25-year-old home to New York, where Mitchell spends a lot of time in the offseason. Still, the Jazz have a high asking price for the talented guard, so it remains to be seen what a potential deal might ultimately look like.

Sims Has Contract Trigger Dates Next Two Summers

July 13th, 2022 at 7:58pm CST by Rory Maher

As Fred Katz of The Athletic recently relayed, Jericho Sims‘ new contract with the Knicks is fully guaranteed at $2K above the minimum in ’22/23, the second year is at the minimum and partially guaranteed for $600K, and the final year is a team option for the minimum with a $651,180 partial guarantee. Begley reports (Twitter link) that the $600K in year two increases to $1.2MM if Sims is still on the roster by mid-July 2023, and the deal becomes fully guaranteed in mid-August ’23. The same structure applies to the third year, with the $651,180 increasing to $1.3MM in mid-July ’24 and a full guarantee in mid-August ’24.

Donovan Mitchell Rumors: Picks, Knicks, Barrett, Nets

July 13th, 2022 at 5:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Teams monitoring the Donovan Mitchell situation believe Utah is looking for a package headlined by draft picks in exchange for the star guard, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Those same teams say the Jazz are looking for deal similar in scope to what they received for Rudy Gobert, which was unprotected first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027, along with a top-five protected 2029 first-round pick and the right to swap first-rounders in 2026. Utah also received Minnesota’s 2022 first-rounder, Walker Kessler, as well as Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Leandro Bolmaro.

As Begley observes, the Knicks have the capability to meet the Jazz’s first-round pick criteria, which might give them a leg up over other suitors like the Heat.

Having said that, the Knicks are leery of trading away the kind of compensation Utah got for Gobert because they believe they wouldn’t have a good enough roster remaining to be a contender. Including RJ Barrett might be a non-starter for New York, as the Knicks have no interest in dealing the 22-year-old wing, Begley reports.

It’s unclear if Utah would even be interested in Barrett, considering he’s eligible for a rookie scale extension and could be in line for a large payday. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said at the end of June that there was “mutual interest” between the Knicks and Barrett in coming to terms on an extension, and Begley reiterates that the two sides are “optimistic” about a deal coming together.

According to Begley, the Nets also have interest in Mitchell, but the designated rookie rule complicates matters, because they already have Ben Simmons.

In his examination of where Mitchell might land, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer believes that sending Simmons and picks to Utah might appeal to the Jazz. However, the Nets would be wise to stand pat on the trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Simmons if they want to contend, because that is their best pathway to a title, O’Connor says.

Knicks Notes: Mitchell, Barrett, Brunson, Hartenstein, Robinson

July 13th, 2022 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks don’t view their newly announced signing of Jalen Brunson as an impediment to a potential pursuit of Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. As Fischer explains, the team believes that the addition of Brunson is a “key ingredient” in its plan of adding a legitimate All-Star to the roster, since the former Maverick is the sort of table-setter and secondary scorer whom a star would want to play alongside.

While the Knicks have stockpiled a number of extra future draft picks, it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll be able to put together the sort of trade package the Jazz can’t refuse for Mitchell. As Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post writes, Utah would almost certainly push for New York to include former No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett, who has All-Star upside.

Vaccaro argues that the Knicks should be willing to give up Barrett for a player like Mitchell, who is already an All-Star, but it’s unclear how significantly the Jazz value the former Duke standout, how inclined New York is to include him an offer, and how many more assets Utah would want in addition to Barrett.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Brunson’s four-year, $104MM deal with the Knicks has a descending structure, beginning at $27.7MM in year one and eventually dipping to $24.9MM in years three and four, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Brunson also got a 10% trade kicker to go along with his fourth-player option, a source tells Katz.
Isaiah Hartenstein has $16MM in guaranteed money on his two-year contract with the Knicks, along with a 5% trade kicker and $1.05MM in annual unlikely incentives, according to Katz (Twitter links). Hartenstein has three separate bonuses worth $350K apiece for playing at least 1,350 regular season minutes, the Knicks winning at least 40 games, and the Knicks making the playoffs, Katz adds.
Like Brunson’s new contract, Mitchell Robinson‘s four-year, $60MM pact has a descending structure, according to Katz (Twitter link). The deal, which doesn’t feature any options or a trade kicker, begins at $17MM in 2022/23 and decreases to $13MM in ’25/26.

Jazz Rumors: Mitchell, Sexton, Conley, Vanderbilt, Beverley, More

July 13th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz are reportedly open to listening to trade inquiries on Donovan Mitchell, but that doesn’t mean they’re shopping the All-Star guard or that he’s likely to be moved this offseason, according to reports from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report and Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Both Fischer and Jones say the Jazz remain focused on keeping Mitchell and building around him, but would consider changing their stance if they get a significant enough trade offer. Fischer suggests such an offer would have to “rival or even surpass” what Utah got for Rudy Gobert.

The front office has been in constant contact with Mitchell’s representatives, according to Jones, who says those conversations have been positive and the 25-year-old hasn’t asked to be dealt. However, Jones acknowledges that the Jazz will likely take a step back in 2022/23 after moving Gobert, and Mitchell “wants to win at a high level,” so the team’s next moves will be crucial.

Fischer likens the situation to James Harden‘s final year in Houston, when the Rockets rebuffed trade offers for P.J. Tucker and made moves to try to convince Harden to stick around, only to see him eventually request a trade. That doesn’t mean Mitchell will take the same path, but some executives around the league believe he and the Jazz are headed for a break-up, whether it happens this offseason or in a year or two.

Although Jones says several other teams have made “serious overtures,” the Knicks have long been viewed as one of the primary suitors for Mitchell. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during an appearance on Get Up (video link) that “some people” view it as inevitable that the former lottery pick will ultimately end up in New York.

“New York can offer some combination of multiple picks, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley, and that’s probably the benchmark any team is going to have to beat in order to get Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz,” an assistant general manager told Bleacher Report.

The Heat have also been frequently linked to Mitchell, but Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune says Miami made an offer for the former Louisville standout earlier in the offseason and the Jazz found it “insufficient.”

According to Fischer, who polled about two dozen executives in Las Vegas, Barrett has more trade value than Tyler Herro, Miami’s most logical trade centerpiece, though it’s unclear whether Utah has serious interest in either player — both are expected to be seeking maximum-salary (or near-max) extensions that would begin in 2023/24.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

The Jazz have explored a potential sign-and-trade deal for Collin Sexton that would send Mike Conley to Cleveland, sources tell Bleacher Report. However, Fischer admits that Conley may not fit the Cavaliers‘ roster and suggests that if those talks gain serious traction, another Utah player would probably have to be involved. Conley did generate some interest from the Clippers before they signed John Wall, Fischer adds, but it’s trickier to find a logical landing spot for him at this point.
Leading up to the June 23 draft, the Jazz were looking for first-round picks in the 15-to-25 range for Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, or Royce O’Neale, Fischer reports. The team ended up moving O’Neale for a 2023 first-rounder.
All of the players the Jazz acquired from Minnesota in the Gobert trade are considered available, Fischer says. “They are open to moving everyone,” one assistant GM told Bleacher Report.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley are among the players from that Gobert trade who have drawn interest, per Fischer. Sources tell Bleacher Report that the Lakers and Heat are a couple of the teams with some interest in Beverley.

Atlantic Notes: McBride, Randle, Stevens, Tucker

July 12th, 2022 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The addition of Jalen Brunson could make playing time scarce for Miles McBride but he’s trying to remain confident, Zach Braziler of the New York Post writes. The 2021 second-round pick played in 40 games last season and projects as the Knicks’ third-string point guard behind Brunson and Derrick Rose. “Doing whatever I can to be on the floor [is my mindset],” he said. “If that means making shots, bringing the ball up, finding the open man, playing defense, I’m doing anything I can to be on the floor.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Julius Randle showed his leadership by inviting young players Jericho Sims and Feron Hunt to summer weight and cardio sessions in Dallas, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News notes. “It was cool. He wanted me to come down, so I said, ‘Hey, he’s a big-time player, why not get close to him, build that relationship,’” Sims said. Randle is trying to improve an image that was tarnished during a disappointing season for him and the Knicks. He’s at the beginning of a four-year extension.
Brad Stevens is happy with his current status as the Celtics’ top executive but he’s not ruling out coaching again someday, as he told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “I’ve enjoyed both roles I’ve been in. I love the people I’ve worked with in both roles, and my family loves it, so, yeah, we’re really happy,” he said. “I’m not going to try to predict the future. I have no idea. No idea. I don’t know if I’d ever coach again. We’ll see.”
Toughness, durability and 3-point shooting are among the attributes that P.J. Tucker brings to the Sixers. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com breaks down all the aspects of Tucker’s game and the intangibles he adds to the table as the veteran forward transitions from one Eastern Conference contender to another.

Knicks Sign Mitchell Robinson To Four-Year Contract

July 12th, 2022 at 5:16pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 12: The signing is official, the team tweets.

JULY 1: The Knicks are bringing back unrestricted free agent center Mitchell Robinson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who hears from agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith that Robinson has agreed to a four-year, $60MM deal to remain in New York.

Robinson, 24, has spent his first four NBA seasons with the Knicks after being selected 36th overall in the 2018 draft. He emerged in 2021/22 as the team’s regular starting center, averaging 8.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 1.8 BPG in 72 appearances (25.7 MPG), including 62 starts.

Robinson has made 72.2% of his career field goal attempts, including 76.1% in ’21/22, but doesn’t have an expansive offensive game, averaging just 4.8 field goal attempts per contest this past season.

The big man has conveyed some dissatisfaction with his limited offensive role in the past and didn’t agree to an in-season extension with the Knicks, prompting some speculation that he could end up elsewhere once he reached the open market. However, there were a number of reasons why it made sense for New York to bring him back.

For one, at age 24, Robinson was one of this summer’s youngest unrestricted free agents and still has room to grow. His athleticism and ability as a lob threat also bring a different dimension to the Knicks’ frontcourt than incoming center Isaiah Hartenstein will provide. Plus, his minimum-salary cap hold gives New York the flexibility to use up its cap room before going over the cap to re-sign him using his Bird rights.

The Bulls and Pistons were among the teams said to have interest in Robinson in the weeks leading up to free agency, but Chicago went for a lower-cost center in Andre Drummond, while Detroit landed rookie Jalen Duren in a draft-night trade. The Raptors also had interest in Robinson, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), but the Knicks had been confident in recent days that they’d be able to re-sign him.

Jake Fischer first reported earlier this week that Robinson was expected to return to New York on a four-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $60MM.