Getty Jalen Rose of ESPN looks on during a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors.
Acquiring Donovan Mitchell is seemingly the ultimate objective for the New York Knicks this offseason and fans and media pundits alike are under the impression that such a move could prove to be a great thing for the franchise in the long run.
At least, most of them feel this way.
New York is widely believed to be the team that can offer the Jazz the most in return for the All-Star guard, and even they are of the belief that “no one is coming close to them” in trade talks.
However, just because the Knicks may be able to shell out the best deal in Utah’s direction, does that necessarily mean they should?
Well, if you ask ESPN analyst and former NBA star Jalen Rose, he’d argue that it may be a good idea for the franchise to steer clear of delving too deep into negotiations.
In an August 23 episode of ESPN’s Jalen & Jacoby, Rose sounded off on the idea of the Knicks’ current pursuit of Donovan Mitchell, citing the number of assets it reportedly will wind up taking to acquire him.
“If you’re the Knicks, you’re going to give up so much capital to acquire him. Quickley, who’s a really good young guard. Toppin, who’s continuing to develop as a frontcourt player, athlete who can now shoot threes. Both of those are productive players,” Rose said.
“They have the opportunity to possibly grow to be starters. So to give up them and four first-round picks. One, two, three, four first-round picks, I think that’s too steep.”
On top of the players Rose listed, recently SNY’s Ian Begley reported in an August 23 article that the Utah Jazz also have a “strong interest” in acquiring franchise centerpiece, RJ Barrett.
Toppin Could Be a Star as a Starter
Despite some of New York’s reservations about including certain players into a deal for Donovan Mitchell, one asset they’re reported to be “amenable” to giving up is third-year big man Obi Toppin.
Despite spending the vast majority of his tenure with the Knicks serving as a low-usage backup to Julius Randle, the former eighth overall pick has managed to show glimpses of living up to his lofty draft price when given ample run on the hardwood.
Just last season, the power forward proved to be incredibly effective when given a bigger role within head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, as he posted sensational averages of 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and just shy of a block on 57% shooting from the floor and 43% shooting from deep in 10 games serving as a starter.
Though he’d almost certainly remain in a reserve role should he stay in New York for next season, if traded to Utah in a Donovan Mitchell deal it’s a rather realistic hypothesis that Obi Toppin would be utilized as a mainstay within the starting lineup, thus possibly resulting in these types of numbers becoming a regular occurrence.
Knicks “Turned Off” by Utah’s Demands
Jalen Rose doesn’t seem to be the only one that views Utah’s asking price as being a bit steep, for Marc Berman of the New York Post revealed that the Knicks were “turned off” by the Jazz’s initial trade demands.
“According to multiple industry sources, the Knicks were turned off by Utah team president Danny Ainge’s initial demands, when he asked in July for a package of seven first-round picks and players. Talks died, but recently there has been renewed back-and-forth. The Knicks’ major concern, according to sources, is giving away too many future assets, which could leave them stuck in an area far below championship contender,” Berman wrote.
Since The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Tony Jones broke news in an August 16 report that the Knicks and Jazz have “re-engaged” in trade talks, there have been a few rumblings about several trade conversations, most recently one that involved Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, and five future first-round picks heading to Salt Lake City.
The Jazz ultimately declined this offer by New York.