The New York Knicks are a team many presume aren’t done making moves this NBA offseason. They have been linked to Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, as the teams reportedly got close to a deal last week before the Knicks backed away at the asking price that was presented by Danny Ainge.
Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming days and weeks, as the Knicks are the favorites to land Mitchell. But, there will be competition from other teams around the league as a 25-year-old, three-time All-Star doesn’t become available too often.
The price to acquire Mitchell will be steep as Utah is looking for young players and draft capital. One name not involved in negotiations that some Knicks fans would like to see on the move this summer is Julius Randle.
Randle fell back to Earth during the 2021-22 season after a 2020-21 campaign in which he made the All-Star team and earned a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. His value is low, but Marc Stein shared a bombshell report on his Substack that will certainly raise a few eyebrows.
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According to Stein, should the Knicks successfully acquire Mitchell from the Jazz, they could pivot to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after. That deal would be centered upon Randle and Russell Westbrook. Stein cites the Knicks wanting to shed long-term salary as a reason they would be interested in making this deal as Randle signed an extension last offseason that is guaranteed through 2025 with a player option for the 2025-26 season.
The Lakers have been shopping Westbrook this whole offseason but to no avail. His salary is $47.1 million for the 2022-23 season, which no team has been willing to take on without draft compensation being attached.
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That is likely something that the Knicks would be looking for as well. It is going to cost a lot of draft capital to acquire Mitchell from the Jazz so this could be seen as a way for Leon Rose to recoup some of it.
The interest that the Knicks have in Westbrook is strictly monetary. They only want him for his contract and buyout talks could occur if a trade was completed between New York and Los Angeles.
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