"He said... 'They wanted my wife, they wanted my kids, they wanted my grandkids'" - Charles Barkley on his "insider" conversation with William Wesley and why New York Knicks passed on the Donovan Mitchell trade
Former NBA superstar Charles Barkley shared inside information on why the New York Knicks didn't trade for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
On SiriusXM NBA Radio, Barkley said he had a conversation with Knicks advisor William Wesley and learned that the Utah Jazz were asking the world in return for Mitchell.
Here's what Barkley said:
"Imma give you some inside information. I actually had this conversation last night with World Wide Wes (William Wesley) at dinner. It is so funny, (I asked), 'So, why didn't y'all make the trade?'
"He said, 'Oh man, don't go by the media stuff. They (Jazz) wanted my wife, my kids, they wanted my grandkids. They were just trying to rip somebody off.'"
Charles Barkley gives us some inside info on why the Knicks didn't trade for Donovan Mitchell 👀
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Several reports suggested the Jazz wanted RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and the majority of the unprotected first-round picks the Knicks had at their disposal. Those assets made the Knicks the favorites to land Mitchell. However, considering what Wesley told Charles Barkley, that probably wasn't it.
The Knicks offer to the Jazz in July:
RJ Barrett
Obi Toppin
Mitchell Robinson
3 1st-round picks (unprotected)
for Donovan Mitchell.
The Jazz declined. 😳
(via @wojespn, espn.com/nba/story/_/id…) https://t.co/iMGhmpeII1
If the Knicks had given in, it would've essentially led to them mortgaging their entire future for a player who would've, at most, turned them into a playoff team.
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RJ Barrett's extension hampered New York in its pursuit of Donovan Mitchell
The New York Knicks have endured plenty of criticism following their failed pursuit of Donovan Mitchell. Several reports indicated they were the frontrunners to land the guard from Utah. The franchise desperately needed a bona fide All-Star in its ranks to improve its roster.
NBA Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers thought Donovan Mitchell was heading to New York Knicks before they signed RJ Barrett to an extension sportskeeda.com/basketball/rum…
However, RJ Barrett's extension hampered the Knicks' chances of acquiring Mitchell. This gave the Cleveland Cavaliers an opening to re-engage in talks with the Jazz, which led to a blockbuster trade for Mitchell.
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Cavaliers Reached Back Out Following RJ Barrett Extension, Knicks Weren't Engaged Again By Jazz basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/268506…
The Knicks aren't in the same position as the Cavaliers. Cleveland has better depth and didn't have to give up any of its three All-Star caliber players. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are already All-Stars, while Evan Mobley is on track to be one soon.
Four years ago, LeBron bolted for LA and sent #Cavs into another rebuild. There were missteps. Losing took its toll. But with adept drafting and shrewd chess-move trades like Kyrie Irving, Jarrett Allen & Donovan Mitchell, the rebuild is over
cleveland.com/cavs/2022/09/c…
Meanwhile, the Knicks would've had to give up draft picks, which would've been crucial to trading for another superstar in the future. However, the Cavaliers going all in made sense as Donovan Mitchell could be the final piece in the puzzle.