Details On Knicks’ Trade Offers For Donovan Mitchell
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.
Pacific Notes: Beverley, Westbrook, Saric, Kings
Since the Lakers traded for veteran point guard Patrick Beverley, the future of 2021/22 starter Russell Westbrook has seemed murky. Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register wonders if the duo can actually share the floor together, or at the very least both stick around on the team this season.
Swanson reads tea leaves in recent public statements from head coach Darvin Ham and team owner Jeanie Buss that seem to suggest they appreciate Westbrook and his contributions to the club last year. Swanson writes that, because Beverley can function so well off the ball as a catch-and-shoot long range sniper, and can defend at least both guard positions, he could theoretically play alongside Westbrook, who tends to be significantly more ball-dominant.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- With Donovan Mitchell headed to the Cavaliers, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times opines that the Lakers could look to move Westbrook (and draft compensation) to the Jazz, who have already offloaded four of their best veteran players in separate deals this summer, including both their All-Stars. Woike writes that combo forward Bojan Bogdanovic should be L.A.’s top priority, and also floats the possibility of adding some combination of Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Malik Beasley and Rudy Gay into such a deal.
- Suns reserve big man Dario Saric missed all of the 2021/22 season while he recovered from a ruptured ACL in his right knee suffered in the first game of the 2021 Finals. The 6’10” big man played well during the Croatian national team’s FIBA EuroBasket 2025 pre-qualifiers in August, writes Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
- Three reserve point guards will be duking it out during the Kings‘ training camp later this month. James Ham of Kings Beat assesses each player in terms of their relative strengths and weaknesses on the current Sacramento roster. As a former lottery pick, defensive-oriented second-year guard Davion Mitchell seems guaranteed to get some run behind pricey starter De’Aaron Fox. Ham predicts that Quinn Cook could have an edge over Matthew Dellavedova as the team’s third point guard option.
Suns Express Interest In Bojan Bogdanovic
With a full-out fire sale seemingly transpiring in Utah, it makes sense that the Jazz will be listening to offers for the rest of its veterans. The Jazz have thus far traded All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, wing Royce O’Neale, and point guard Patrick Beverley, all in separate deals, for younger players and future draft equity.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports that the Suns inquired about the availability of forward Bojan Bogdanovic in the wake of today’s deal that will send Mitchell to the Cavaliers. To match the 33-year-old veteran’s expiring $19.3MM salary, Phoenix would need to include multiple players in a trade, as well as future draft equity, Gambadoro speculates.
Last season, the 6’7″ veteran averaged 18.1 PPG on 45.5% shooting from the floor, along with 4.3 RPG and 1.7 APG across 69 games for the Jazz while starting as the team’s power forward. Bogdanovic could help spread the floor for the Suns, and is an efficient shooter at the charity stripe. He connected on 38.7% of his 6.8 triples per game for Utah, as well as 85.8% of his free throws.
Though the Suns had a league-best 64 wins, they flamed out in the playoffs, falling in a seven-game Western Conference semifinal matchup against the Mavericks. The Suns have made few moves this offseason thus far. When the Pacers tendered a four-year, maximum offer to restricted free agent starting Phoenix center Deandre Ayton, the Suns opted to match, making the big man ineligible to be traded until January.
Jazz Notes: Sexton, Mitchell Trade Grades, Rebuild, Veterans
After landing combo guard Collin Sexton in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers as part of the package for All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz intend to keep Sexton in Utah, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an emergency edition of his podcast The Hoop Collective.
Sexton had been a restricted free agent this offseason, and negotiations between the 6’1″ guard out of Alabama and Cavaliers brass reportedly remained far apart in recent weeks. The team had offered him a deal in the range of a three-year, $40MM contract, which he had turned down. He’ll be inking a four-year, $72MM contract in the sign-and-trade that is sending him to the Jazz.
Sexton, still just 23, was unavailable for all but 11 games last season for Cleveland after tearing his meniscus. When healthy, he averaged 16.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 0.9 SPG, on .450/.244/.744 shooting splits. Through his four NBA seasons, he boasts career averages of 20.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 3 RPG, and 0.8 SPG, with a .458/.378/.827 shooting line.
There’s more out of Utah:
- Zach Harper of The Athletic doles out trade grades to both the Cavaliers and the Jazz following the team’s exchange earlier today. Harper is higher on the addition of Mitchell for Cleveland than he is on the return acquired by Utah, noting that he sees the Cavaliers as a potential Eastern Conference contender.
- The Jazz now appear to be going all-in on a full-bore rebuild, writes Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Todd takes stock of the team’s new assets thanks to its four offseason trades to date. The Jazz now have bolstered their roster with six players aged 25 or younger, plus two young players from the first round of this year’s draft, eight future first-round draft selections, and three upcoming draft pick swaps. Todd notes that this rebuild could be an extended process.
- Following these summer deals that have sent away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Mitchell, the Jazz futures of veterans Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay appear to be up in the air. On today’s edition of his podcast The Lowe Post, ESPN’s Zach Lowe talks to colleague Bobby Marks about the potential trade destinations for these various players.
Knicks Notes: Barrett, Rival Opinions, Mitchell, Next Steps
The Knicks officially signed fourth-year small forward RJ Barrett today to a lucrative four-year rookie contract extension that can be worth up to $120MM. Taking a closer look at the deal in the latest edition of their podcast The Mismatch (YouTube video link), Kevin O’Connor and Chris Vernon of The Ringer argue the extension is a smart play for New York. The duo thinks that Barrett, at worst, will be a solid role player, and at best could reach All-Star greatness.
Vernon and O’Connor also both think Barrett will thrive best as a large shooting guard, the same position that undersized All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who was just dealt from the Jazz to the Cavaliers instead of the Knicks, plays.
Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post opines that Barrett’s extension serves as proof positive that team president Leon Rose and the rest of New York’s front office see Barrett as a core building block for the future. Vaccaro notes that Barrett has improved as a shooter each season, and says he’s worth the investment.
There’s more out of Madison Square Garden:
- Rival coaches and executives are weighing in on the team’s decision to extend Barrett, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “The Knicks normally overpay for decent players,’’ a coach told Berman. “Is RJ ever going to be more than a low efficiency, high usage scorer? Maybe. But maybe not. That’s the point. But they think he’s got a lot of room to get better.’’ An NBA scout offered the following assessment: “RJ is a really good player, but only if he’s surrounded by a really good team. (The Knicks) are a mediocre team, and they have a lot of money tied up in three players (Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle being the other two) who are third/fourth options. That would be the concern. It’s where do they go from here with this much money tied into three players. Are these contracts going to be (tradable) if need be, or you’re stuck with them?’’
- The Knicks had the assets needed to trade for three-time Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who ultimately was sent to the Cavaliers today in a blockbuster deal. Ian Begley of SNY.tv breaks down New York’s thinking in not going all-in for Mitchell. In addition to being reticent to include three unprotected first-round picks as has been previously reported, Begley writes that the team was hesitant to trade Barrett or Quentin Grimes, both of whom Utah had been interested in adding.
- Deciding to not make a deal for Mitchell may work out for the Knicks, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Popper writes that a starting backcourt of two 6’1″ guards in Brunson and Mitchell could have put New York at a defensive disadvantage in a league full of bigger, longer guards. Popper wonders if the Knicks will now move on to considering 6’6″ Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, currently trapped on a franchise in the midst of a long-term rebuild.
Pistons Notes: Breakout Players, Walker, Casey
Before the Pistons can take a leap in the win column and contend for the postseason, the team will need its young role players to improve in their development. Mike Curtis of The Detroit News identifies power forward Marvin Bagley III — the former No. 2 lottery pick in 2018 — athletic wing Hamidou Diallo, and center Isaiah Stewart as three such role players capable of growing their games in 2022/23.
Curtis thinks that Bagley could become a reliable option in the post if he can stay healthy next year. Curtis also opines that Diallo could see his standing in the Detroit hierarchy improve if he grows as a long-range shooter. Stewart’s three-point output has been limited in the last two seasons. He has connected on 33% of his 0.8 attempts thus far in his NBA career. Curtis writes that the 6’8″ big man showed off an increased willingness to let fly from outside during two Summer League contests with Detroit in Las Vegas this year. Overall, Stewart shot 5-of-9 from outside.
There’s more out of the Motor City:
- The Pistons may still be holding out hope that they can use the expiring $9.2MM remaining on veteran point guard Kemba Walker‘s current contract in a trade. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes in a new mailbag that, if such a deal does not materialize in time for the start of NBA training camps later this month, Detroit could move to buy him out of his deal. Elsewhere in the mailbag, Langlois says he considers Isaiah Livers the most likely new addition to the Pistons’ starting lineup this season, and thinks star point guard Cade Cunningham, the top draft pick in 2021, could be in line for All-Star consideration this season if he continues to develop.
- In an interview with Johnny Kane of Bally Sports Detroit (Twitter video link), Pistons head coach Dwane Casey expressed enthusiasm about the team’s ability to grow next season. Casey hailed Cade Cunningham and 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey as “stars to be.” Casey anticipates that the team will at the very least improve from its 23-59 record in 2021/22. “You expect growth,” Casey said (hat tip to Mike Curtis of The Detroit News for the transcription). “The internal growth is very important. One thing [GM] Troy Weaver has done is brought a bunch of young, hard-working, character guys in that have been working all summer. I can see the improvement. The game has slowed down for a guy like Saddiq Bey. You mentioned Cade Cunningham. You mention Isaiah Stewart — all those guys, the game has slowed down for them.”
- The Pistons recently agreed to sign free agent big man Micah Potter to a training camp deal. Get the full details here.
Knicks Officially Announce RJ Barrett’s Extension
The Knicks have officially signed forward RJ Barrett to a rookie scale extension, the team announced today in a press release.
While the Knicks’ didn’t specify the terms of the deal in their announcement, previous reports indicated that Barrett’s new four-year contract, which will go into effect in 2023/24, will include $107MM in guaranteed money and could be worth up to $120MM with incentives related to All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections.
“We are thrilled to announce a well-deserved extension for RJ Barrett, a core piece of our team’s foundation,” Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose said in a statement. “At only 22 years old, he has elevated his game each season, solidifying himself as a force on both ends of the court. We believe he will continue to improve because of his passion for the game and dedication to his craft. We want to continue to build our team and culture around players like RJ who possess these values and qualities.”
Fittingly, the Knicks announced Barrett’s extension at almost exactly the same time word broke that the Jazz were trading Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. The Knicks and Jazz reportedly had extensive discussions about Barrett as a possible centerpiece in a trade for Mitchell, with New York setting a Monday night deadline to either agree to a trade or extend the former No. 3 overall pick.
Barrett’s extension didn’t rule out the possibility that the Jazz and Knicks could work out a Mitchell trade, even one involving Barrett. However, it put those trade discussions on the back burner at least temporarily, opening the door for the Cavs to swoop in and finalize a trade for Mitchell themselves.
With Mitchell no longer available, it’s a safe bet Barrett will be a Knick in 2022/23. If he’s not included in another trade for a star down the road, he’s on track to remain in New York all the way through at least the ’26/27 season — his new deal reportedly doesn’t include any player or team options, so he won’t be eligible for free agency until the summer of 2027.
A former star at Duke, Barrett has steadily increased his scoring average in his three NBA seasons with the Knicks, registering a career-high 20.0 PPG in 70 games (34.5 MPG) in 2021/22. He also contributed 5.8 RPG and 3.0 APG while shooting .408/.342/.714 last season.
Those shooting marks were a step down from his career bests in ’20/21 (.441/.401/.746), but the presence of newly acquired point guard Jalen Brunson this season should help boost Barrett’s scoring efficiency.
NBA G League Announces Schedule, Format For 2022/23 Season
The NBA G League has officially revealed its schedule for the 2022/23 season, per a press release. Here are a few highlights from the G League’s announcement:
Return of the Showcase Cup
For a second consecutive year, the NBAGL season will begin with an event called the Showcase Cup. The league’s 30 teams will be split into four regional “pods” (two with eight teams apiece and two with seven teams each) and will play a 16-game schedule.
Eight teams will advance from there to a single-elimination tournament at the G League’s Winter Showcase from December 19-22. The four pod winners will be part of that tournament, as will the four teams with the next-best records, regardless of which pod they’re in.
Every team will play a total of 18 games during the Showcase Cup and Winter Showcase, with the exception of the two finalists — they’ll play a 19th contest to determine the Showcase champion.
A 30-team regular season
Last season, all 30 NBA G League teams competed in the Showcase Cup, but the Mexico City Capitanes and the G League Ignite didn’t take part in the regular season beginning in January.
This year, all 30 NBAGL teams will compete in a 32-game regular season, tipping off on December 27. The Capitanes will host their games at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico, while the Ignite move into their new home, the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.
The top six teams in each conference will advance to the NBA G League postseason, so 12 of 30 teams will be playoff clubs.
“Elam Ending” experiments
The G League will experiment with a couple variations of the “Elam Ending” this season, like the NBA has with the All-Star Game in recent years. The new rules are as follows:
- Any game that goes into overtime will be determined by a seven-point target score. For instance, if two teams are tied at 100-100 at the end of regulation, the first team to 107 points would be the winner.
- During the Winter Showcase in December, winners will be determined by a 25-point target score in the fourth quarter. For example, if one team is ahead by a score of 90-80 at the end of three quarters, the target score would be 115 (the leading team’s score, plus 25). The first team to 115 points would win the game.
The list of G League teams and affiliations essentially looks the same as it did last season. The one minor change is that the Clippers’ affiliate is now known simply as the Ontario Clippers, rather than the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.
Atlantic Notes: Brogdon, Nets, Raptors, Niang
Speaking to Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com, new Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon said the franchise’s history is one important reason why he was excited to be traded from Indiana to Boston this offseason.
“I mean, they’re the most winning organization in the league, and I think they’re more hungry to win than anybody,” Brogdon said. “You can see that with the move they made for me and (Danilo) Gallinari. They want to improve. They want to win a championship. It’s all about Banner 18 for ’em. Now that’s all it’s about for me as well, and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
Brogdon also talked to Davies about Gallinari’s injury, the role he thinks he can play in Boston, and his involvement with the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa program. The conversation is worth checking out in full for Celtics fans.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- While the Nets‘ additions of Royce O’Neale, T.J. Warren, Edmond Sumner, and Markieff Morris should provide some depth around their stars, the team could still use more depth at center and a reliable backup point guard, argues Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Winfield views Kyrie Irving and Patty Mills as score-first guards and notes that Ben Simmons will be used all over the court, meaning there still may be a need for a traditional floor general.
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic shares the results of his Raptors fan survey, which reflect the fanbase’s high confidence level in team president Masai Ujiri and suggest that fans would be comfortable offering Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet lucrative long-term contract extensions.
- Sam Cohn of The Philadelphia Inquirer takes an interesting, in-depth look at the road that Georges Niang took to the NBA and to the Sixers. Niang is entering the final year of his contract and will earn $3.47MM in 2022/23.
Gary Harris Undergoes Arthroscopic Surgery On Left Knee
Magic wing Gary Harris has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee, the team announced in a press release. Harris, who recently tore his meniscus, underwent a meniscectomy, according to the Magic.
The recovery period for a torn meniscus can vary significantly depending on the severity of the injury and the form of treatment. When a player undergoes surgery to repair the tear, he typically misses several months — that’s how meniscus tears for Jaren Jackson Jr. and Collin Sexton have been treated within the last couple years, limiting Jackson to just 11 games in 2020/21 and Sexton to 11 appearances in ’21/22.
However, a meniscectomy involves removing either the full meniscus or a part of it, rather than repairing it. The procedure typically requires a shorter recovery period.
The Magic said in their announcement today that Harris’ return to the court will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment. It’s possible his absence will be measured in weeks rather than months, though Orlando has shown a tendency to take a conservative approach to its players’ recovery timetables.
Harris, who will turn 28 this month, appeared in 61 games (28.4 MPG) for the Magic in 2021/22 after being sent to the team in the Aaron Gordon trade at the 2021 deadline. The veteran shooting guard averaged 11.1 PPG on .434/.384/.864 shooting last season, earning a two-year, $26MM contract extension just before free agency officially began.
Only the first year of Harris’ new contract is guaranteed, so he’ll be motivated to get healthy and have a good season. A strong showing in 2022/23 would either convince the Magic to retain him for ’23/24 or would set him up for another solid payday as a free agent next summer.