NBA Rumors: RJ Barrett not a deal-breaker for the Utah Jazz in a trade for Donovan Mitchell
With only two months to go before the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, Donovan Mitchell's position with the Utah Jazz is still in question. And it seems like RJ Barrett's rookie extension might not be a deal-breaker after all.
The Utah Jazz traded Rudy Gobert in July. After initially declining offers for Donovan Mitchell, they finally decided to listen to offers for him as well. The Jazz have clarified that they are fine with not trading Mitchell. However, they have been fairly active in the trade market.
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The latest on the New York Knicks' pursuit of Donovan Mitchell comes from Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman wrote that the Jazz want four unprotected picks. The Knicks are willing to give up just two, with three additional conditional picks.
League Source: “There is no place for Donovan Mitchell to go at this time. The Knicks can still get him.” twitter.com/nypost_berman/…
Berman wrote that not having RJ Barrett in the talks isn't a deal-breaker. According to league sources, the Jazz are mostly after unprotected picks. They are also after the LA Lakers' 2027 and 2029 picks. The Lakers' involvement could make it a three-team deal.
He further alluded to how the Lakers could benefit from the deal. LA could end up getting Cam Reddish. Reddish has Rich Paul as his agent, which means LeBron James and Anthony Davis could be on board with the deal.
The New York Knicks and the Miami Heat remain staunch contenders in their bid to acquire Donovan Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell's sweepstakes among the few remaining question this NBA offseason
The New York Knicks should be seen as the favorites to get Donovan Mitchell, as the Miami Heat lack the bushel of picks the Utah Jazz are after.
However, the Jazz could also look at a different scenario: acquiring Tyler Herro and whatever draft capital they can from the Heat. Utah can then flip Herro along with their own players for more picks.
The Jazz could acquire RJ Barrett for a similar purpose. The Knicks, however, might have the leverage if the Jazz follow this path.
This leverage is contingent on the ability of the two teams to give up picks. The Heat could give up three picks along with Tyler Herro. The Jazz would then look to flip him for three to four more first-round picks.
If the Knicks give up RJ Barrett and five first-round picks, the Jazz could flip Barrett for two more picks. That seems a lot easier than trying to trade Herro for four to five first-round picks.