Multiple sources tell Berman that the Knicks recoiled from the original demands by Utah team president Danny Ainge, who asked for seven first-round picks in addition to young players on controllable contracts. Talks remained dormant for a while, but the teams have re-engaged each other.
According to Berman, New York’s front office believes adding Mitchell would improve the team by about 10 wins, taking it to the 47-victory level. The concern is that there would be no way to improve beyond that if the franchise gives up a significant number of its draft assets.
“Getting from 47 wins to 57 wins, that’s harder than 37 to 47,’’ a coaching source told Berman.
Berman notes that the Knicks traded this year’s first-round pick to clear cap room to add free agent guard Jalen Brunson, and the team could be in danger of losing another selection if the NBA determines that tampering occurred in the Brunson signing.
Coach Tom Thibodeau is strongly interested in adding Mitchell, Berman adds, but he’s staying out of the spotlight while the process plays out. Berman cites a belief around the league that Thibodeau would prefer to part with RJ Barrett in a Mitchell trade rather than give up second-year guard Quentin Grimes, who’s a better defender and long-distance shooter. Berman hears that Ainge is “hot to acquire” Grimes for Utah’s rebuilding project, and Berman’s source says Grimes wouldn’t be opposed to leaving instead of having no chance to start behind a Brunson-Mitchell backcourt.
Barrett, who averaged 20.0 PPG last season, is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 17.
When word first broke on July 1 that the Jazz had agreed to a blockbuster trade sending Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, reports from ESPN and The Athletic quickly clarified that Utah had no plans to trade Donovan Mitchell and intended to build its roster around the All-Star guard.
The reports made some sense. After all, there had been rumored tension between Gobert and Mitchell for years. Mitchell, who will turn 26 in September, is four years younger than Gobert and is on a slightly less pricey contract. If the organization was going to choose to move forward with one or the other, Mitchell seemed likely to be the pick.
On top of that, the return in the Gobert trade set up the Jazz for a quick pivot — they could incorporate reliable rotational role players like Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt and could conceivably flip some of the first-round picks they got from Minnesota for more pieces to complement Mitchell. Combining those assets with returning veterans like Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gay would provide the Jazz with a solid base.
However, that plan was called into question almost immediately as trade rumors began to swirl around Mitchell. Eleven days after the Gobert trade was first reported, Adrian Wojnarowski stated that the Jazz were open to inquiries on Mitchell. It didn’t take long for the team to engage in discussions with the Knicks, and subsequent reports identified the Heat, Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Hawks, and Kings as teams with varying levels of interest in the All-Star guard.
Just as a plan to retool around Mitchell could be justified, so too could a plan to pivot to a full-fledged rebuild. Having already traded away Gobert and Royce O’Neale for draft-heavy returns, the Jazz could go all-in on the fire sale by moving Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Beverley, and other veterans for more assets, loading up on draft picks, and charting a new course under CEO Danny Ainge and head coach Will Hardy, both of whom joined the franchise within the last year.
Taking that path would make sense for the Jazz if they have reservations about Mitchell’s ability to be a franchise player. And if that’s the case, it might be the right to move him, while he still has multiple years left on his contract and hasn’t hurt Utah’s leverage by asking for a trade and forcing the club’s hand.
Since that initial flurry of Mitchell trade rumors in July, the rumor mill has slowed down a little. By all accounts, the Jazz are asking for a massive return for Mitchell, seeking the same sort of haul of unprotected picks and solid players and contracts they were able to extract for Gobert.
If no team meets Utah’s asking price, this situation could play out in one of two ways — the Jazz, having already ventured part of the way down this road, could commit to that direction and lower their asking price for Mitchell, accepting the best offer on the table. Or they could shut down trade talks and enter the season with Mitchell on the roster, putting off the possibility of a deal until at least 2023.
Both approaches are risky. The Jazz won’t want to sell off an All-Star in his mid-20s for less than what he’s worth. But by hanging onto Mitchell, they’d run the risk of eventually being forced into trade talks on his terms down the road, should he ask out of Utah. And the closer we get to 2025 (when he can opt out of his contract), the more reluctant some teams may be to give up significant assets for Mitchell without assurances he’d re-sign.
We want to know what you think. How much longer do you expect Mitchell do remain in Utah? Will these trade talks culminate in a deal later this year, or will the Jazz end up retooling their roster around the guard like those initial reports suggested?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in!
The Knicks and Jazz have been back in touch about Donovan Mitchell within the past week, according to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic, who report that the two teams have had a “fresh trade conversation” about what a deal sending Mitchell to New York might look like.
As Charania and Jones explain, the Knicks and Jazz had seriousdiscussions during the Las Vegas Summer League in mid-July about a Mitchell trade, but those talks reached an impasse and had been dormant for a few weeks.
Although the Knicks have made their interest in Mitchell “abundantly clear” throughout the summer, there’s still no serious traction toward a deal, per The Athletic’s duo. Sources tell Charania and Jones that the Hornets and Wizards remain among the teams in pursuit of Mitchell. Charania reported in late July that those two Southeast teams had recently engaged with New York.
Previous reports have indicated that the Jazz are seeking a return for Mitchell that’s similar to – or greater than – the haul they received from Minnesota in exchange for Rudy Gobert. Although the Knicks have a surplus of first-round picks from previous trades, it’s unclear whether they – or any other suitors – are prepared to meet Utah’s asking price.
According to Charania and Jones, the Jazz have conveyed that they’re comfortable keeping the All-Star guard on the roster this season, since he still has three years remaining on his contract (plus a fourth-year player option). For his part, Mitchell hasn’t made any sort of trade demand and is believed to be fine with with either staying in Utah or being dealt elsewhere, sources tell The Athletic.
We’re still six weeks away from the start of training camps and nine weeks away from opening night, so the Jazz have plenty of time to consider their options before the 2022/23 season tips off.
Even with the assets acquired in the Rudy Gobert deal with Minnesota, the Jazz still aren’t good enough to be a true contender in the stacked Western Conference, says Todd. And even if they flipped those assets and tried to acquire another star like Kevin Durant, they wouldn’t be good enough to win it all. Wallowing in mediocrity would only serve to frustrate Mitchell and force the organization to deal him at a later date, Todd adds.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
How much will Gobert impact the Timberwolves? The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski picks the brain of colleague Tony Jones, who covered Gobert in Utah. Jones believes Minnesota has more defenders with length and athleticism around Gobert than the Jazz ever had. That will make the Timberwolves a very good team the next couple of years, though there’s some risk of decline near the end of his contract, which runs through the 2025/26 season.
Zeke Nnaji has been working with the Nuggets coaches on bulking up so that he can play all three frontcourt positions, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. Nnaji has added 11 pounds of muscle and that could help him carve out a second unit role. The 21-year-old appeared in 41 regular season games last season.
The Knicks can deal up to eight first-rounders, including up to four unprotected picks, in a potential trade with the Jazz for Donovan Mitchell. They could add at least three first-round swaps, as well as young talents such as RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin.
Those factors give New York an edge over other potential suitors for Mitchell, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. Katz breaks down possible offers from the Wizards, Heat, Raptors, Hornets, Kings and Hawks — the other teams reportedly interested in a Mitchell deal — and how the Knicks might top them.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
Jayson Tatum is brimming with confidence the Celtics will win the title next season, fortified by the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari, he told The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “I mean, what kind of teammate would I be if I said no?” he said. “We got this close, and we added two really good players. I think it makes us better.” Tatum is staying out of the way of other potential moves, including chatter regarding a Kevin Durant blockbuster. “(President of basketball operations Brad Stevens) lets me do my thing. I let him do his thing,” he said. “In all honesty, that’s his decision and that’s his job.”
Winning the Most Valuable Player award would be a best-case scenario for the Sixers’ Joel Embiid next season, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com writes. The worst case scenario, beyond a significant injury, would be the superstar center growing disenchanted with the franchise’s inability to get over the hump in the postseason.
A best-case scenario for Sixers reserve Paul Reed, according to Neubeck, would be a more modest goal — getting more minutes and bringing youthful energy and production. A worse-case scenario would be for the Sixers to lose trust in Reed and wind up overusing P.J. Tucker at the ‘five’ spot before the postseason.
August 7th, 2022 at 1:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
Beyond re-signing many of their own free agents, the Heat have remained relatively quiet this summer, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Miami enjoyed a successful 2021/22 campaign, and found itself one win shy of qualifying for their second NBA Finals appearance in three years.
Aside from the big fish – Nets All-Star forward Kevin Durant and Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell – there are many other viable trade candidates the team could look to add this summer after having lost starting power forward P.J. Tucker in free agency, says Winderman. He lists players like Pacers big man Myles Turner, Hawks power forward John Collins, Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Hornets power forward Gordon Hayward, and Suns power forward Jae Crowder – a starter on Miami’s 2020 Finals team – as potentially attainable frontcourt players who could help the Heat replace Tucker.
Winderman notes that Miami has three big pieces it could include in a trade: swingman Duncan Robinson and his $16.9MM salary; extension-eligible 2022 Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro; and the ability to send out up to three first-round draft picks, plus this year’s No. 27 pick, Nikola Jovic. Winderman acknowledges that emptying the team’s coffers to get a less starry component than Durant or Mitchell could leave the team’s front office feeling as if it missed out.
There’s more out of South Beach:
Though the Heat’s competitors in the Eastern Conference have, on paper, made moves to improve their rosters, Winderman wonders in a recent reader mailbag if the gains made by Miami’s East rivals may have been somewhat overstated. Though Winderman concedes that the acquisitions made by the Celtics and Hawks were fairly major, he thinks that the rest of the competitive portion of the conference made merely supplemental moves.
When the NBA’s full schedule is announced later this month, it will reveal that the Heat are set to play their second Mexico City regular season contest in five seasons, Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes in a separate piece. As Winderman details, Miami will play at an elevation even more extreme than the NBA’s normal high, Denver, at 5,280 feet above sea level — Mexico City stands 7,350 feet above sea level. This Mexico City return game is among several international contests the league is scheduling during the preseason and regular season for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Games are also scheduled to take place this year in Abu Dhabi, between the Hawks and Bucks, during the October preseason and in Paris, between the Bulls and Pistons, in January.
Rumors continue to emerge regarding Donovan Mitchell trade talks involving the Jazz and Knicks, but little progress has been made, according to Tony Jones of the Athletic. Appearing Friday on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, Jones was pessimistic that a deal will get done soon.
“I don’t think the two sides are close. I don’t think they have been close,” Jones said. “We’ll see what happens as the urgency of training camp looms. The Jazz want what they want, which is picks out of this deal, and they want young guys on short or rookie contracts.”
Knicks players who fit that definition include Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, but New York has been unwilling to part with significant young talent in addition to substantial draft assets. Jones said keeping Grimes is a priority for the Knicks, along with veteran guard Derrick Rose, who is a longtime favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau.
“The sense I get right now is it’s probably not going to happen on an imminent level,” Jones added. “The two sides aren’t close. To me, I think if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen closer to training camp or the start of the season. If it doesn’t happen then, we’ll see what happens closer to the February trade deadline.”
There are more Jazz-related notes from the podcast:
Matching Mitchell’s salary of $30.35MM for next season becomes trickier if Rose’s $14.52MM contract isn’t involved. Scotto notes that Utah doesn’t want to take on long-term money, which eliminates Julius Randle ($23.76MM) and Evan Fournier ($18MM). Jones said the Jazz don’t have any interest in adding Randle and “I’m not sure there’s much of an appetite for (Cam) Reddish ($5.95MM).” He adds that the Jazz would rather keep Mitchell and hold onto a possible $36-$40MM in cap room for next summer than accept unwanted salary.
Udoka Azubuike may have the inside track to be the starting center if Utah trades Mitchell and commits to a youth movement, Jones adds. Sources tell Jones that Azubuike has been working with coaches in Salt Lake City all summer and has been showing improvement. First-round pick Walker Kessler would also be in the mix for the starting job. If the Jazz keep Mitchell and try to make the playoffs, Jones expects them to find a more experienced center in free agency.
LeBron Jamesbecame eligible on Thursday to sign a one- or two-year contract extension. While the Lakers and James have next June 30 — the day before James would become an unrestricted free agent — to reach an agreement, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin indicated on NBA Today that there’s mutual interest in getting an extension done (video link).
“All signs point toward both sides looking to extend their partnership together,” McMenamin said, adding “Overall, both sides recognize they can help one another get to their mutual goal, which is to compete at a high level and stay relevant.”
James and his representative, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, met with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and head coach Darvin Ham at the team’s practice facility on Thursday. Paul told McMenamin that they were “productive talks” and he “expects them to continue.”
We have more on the Lakers:
The start of training camp could be a soft deadline to trade Russell Westbrook, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Buha says both sides would like to avoid the massive off-court distraction of a media circus constantly speculating about Westbrook’s future.
In the same mailbag piece, Buha indicates that, for now at least, the Pacers seem more willing to get a Westbrook deal done than the Nets or another other possible suitor.
Despite issues of spacing and long-term contract concerns, Julius Randle would still be a better fit with James and Anthony Davis than Westbrook as a third star, Buha argues. However, Westbrook is mainly a fallback option for the Knicks if they’re unable to acquire Donovan Mitchell.
Talen Horton-Tucker isn’t likely to be a regular member of the team’s rotation due to his skill set, in Buha’s view. His primary strengths are ballhandling and shot creation and the team already has plenty of players who can provide that.
Free agent acquisition Lonnie Walker will fill Malik Monk‘s former role of instant offense off the bench, Buha adds. Walker is a streaky shooter but shot selection and defense are concerns.
As we relayed earlier today, the Jazz reportedly spoke to the Knicks and Lakers a few weeks ago about the possibility of a three-team trade that would involved Donovan Mitchell and Russell Westbrook. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reported those trade discussions, passed along several other Jazz-related tidbits in his latest roundup of rumors from around the NBA. Here are a few highlights:
As they explore the trade market for Mitchell, the Jazz aren’t prioritizing win-now players at all, according to Scotto, who says the team is seeking as many first round draft picks as possible. After acquiring four future first round selections and 2022 first rounder Walker Kessler in the Rudy Gobert blockbuster, Utah is hoping to exceed that return by acquiring five or six first rounders for Mitchell, Scotto adds.
The Knicks remain the frontrunners to land Mitchell, but they’ve been reluctant to give up the draft assets Utah is seeking, both in terms of quantity and quality, per Scotto. Besides debating the number of picks in a potential deal, the two teams have haggled over how many of them would be protected, and to what extent.
Rival executives believes that if the Jazz move Mitchell, they’ll be in “fire sale” mode and more veterans will likely follow him out of town. Playoff-caliber teams are keeping a close eye on Bojan Bogdanovic and Patrick Beverley, says Scotto.
While Mike Conley is also a trade candidate, his contract (two years, $47MM) makes him a longer shot to be moved in the near future, Scotto writes. Bogdanovic and Beverley, conversely, are on expiring deals.
As Scotto explains, the proposed deal would involve at least two Jazz players (likely some combination of Bojan Bogdanovic, Patrick Beverley, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley) going to Los Angeles, while the Knicks would send out players to both teams for salary-matching purposes. New York would need to trade at least $24.2MM in outgoing salary to match Mitchell’s $30.35MM cap hit.
The Jazz – who would buy out Westbrook if they acquired him, according to Scotto – would receive significant draft compensation from both the Lakers and Knicks for trading Mitchell and taking on Westbrook’s $47MM+ salary.
According to Scotto, the Lakers have had interest in Knicks forward Cam Reddish in the past. Additionally, New York previously expressed interest in Beasley and now employs Gersson Rosas, who acquired and re-signed Beasley when he was working in the Timberwolves’ front office. So if the three teams were able to work out a deal, it would be worth keeping an eye on whether the Lakers could land Reddish or the Knicks could get Beasley.
However, it sounds like it’s probably a long shot that the Jazz, Lakers, and Knicks will be able to reach an agreement.
Utah, of course, wants a substantial haul for Mitchell, having reportedly asked the Knicks for three players and six draft picks last month. And teams that have talked to Los Angeles about Westbrook are believed to be seeking the Lakers’ 2027 and 2029 first-round picks (with as little protection as possible) to accommodate the salary dump. According to multiplereports, L.A. has thus far resisted attaching more than one first-rounder to Westbrook in any proposed trade.
For the Lakers, Jazz, and Knicks to make a deal, they’d have to find common ground on the price tags for both Mitchell and Westbrook, which will be extremely challenging.
It’s unclear, based on Scotto’s report, whether or not the three clubs are still actively exploring this scenario or how viable they consider it to be.