The 2022 NBA offseason has been very successful for the New York Knicks. The summer is when teams want to upgrade their roster and the Knicks accomplished that as Leon Rose was aggressive in clearing cap space to sign free agents.
Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel were all traded to the Detroit Pistons in a salary dump, which cost the Knicks six second-round draft picks and $6 million total. They used that cap space to sign Jalen Brunson to fill in the gaping hole at the point guard position and then used part of their mid-level exception to sign Isaiah Hartenstein to upgrade the frontcourt.
New York is much improved when you account for natural progression from the young guys. But, they could make an even bigger upgrade if they were able to land Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.
The Knicks have emerged as the favorites to land the 25-year-old three-time All-Star as the Jazz are heading toward a rebuild. Negotiations could take weeks, as there are a lot of moving parts in the deal and Utah is going to canvas the entire league to squeeze as many assets as possible out of their trade partner.
Given the direction they are heading in, Utah wants draft capital and players on their rookie contracts or team-friendly deals. The Knicks can offer plenty of both, but one player many presumed would be a sticking point is RJ Barrett.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Latest On New York Knicks’ Trade Pursuit Of Utah Jazz Star Donovan Mitchell
Barrett was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and has the most upside of any young player on the roster. Many thought any trade talks that involved the Knicks wanting to acquire an All-Star would start with Barrett, but in negotiations with the Jazz, that doesn’t seem to be the case according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
“Knicks personnel have projected confidence, sources said, that they will ultimately be able to land Mitchell without sacrificing Barrett. Likewise, league sources have indicated that Utah isn’t enamored by becoming the franchise that coughs up a sizable extension to Barrett.”
That is certainly an excellent development for New York. If they are to reach the height of true contenders in the NBA, Barrett is someone they need to keep on the roster and hope he continues developing in the fashion that he has. If he reaches All-Star level in the next year or two, the Knicks become that much more popular a destination for other players.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Latest On New York Knicks’ Trade Pursuit Of Utah Jazz Star Donovan Mitchell
Even if an extension isn’t worked out before the deadline this year, he will be a restricted free agent next offseason. In that scenario, New York would have the chance to match any offer sheet Barrett signs.
Alas, there is optimism on both sides that a deal can be reached. If RJ Barrett signs for less than the minimum it should be seen as a win as the Knicks are looking to build a roster for sustainable, long-term success.
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