The New York Knicks are never far away from the forefront of the rumor mill, and shortly after concluding a deal for Jalen Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks, they’re already on the lookout for their next star.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Knicks have now entered into trade negotiations with the Utah Jazz, as they hope to lure Donovan Mitchell to New York in what would be a blockbuster trade.
The Jazz and Knicks have started discussions on a Donovan Mitchell trade, sources tell me and @Tjonesonthenba. New York has Utah’s focus currently, among interested teams.
Story at @TheAthletic:
“The Jazz are having conversations with multiple teams on a Mitchell deal, but the Knicks have emerged as the focused destination over the past several days, sources said. Both sides have discussed a deal framework in the past 24 hours, those sources said,” Charania wrote on July 14.
The Knicks’ interest in Mitchell is well documented, as is their desire to finally land an All-Star player to become the face of the franchise, and given that Mitchell is a New York native, he could be the perfect player to help galvanize a sleeping giant.
Quentin Grimes Could be a Makeweight
It’s clear that Utah is entering the start of a rebuilding period, which means they’re going to favor draft picks and high-upside young talents in any potential trade – similar to what they got for Rudy Gobert from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
According to Charania, Quentin Grimes could be a potential target as part of a larger framework for a trade, following the young guard’s impressive exploits during Summer League.
Quentin Grimes making a conscious effort to put the ball on the floor during summer league is very, very interesting. He was pretty good attacking closeouts as a rookie, but Knicks have had him working on initiating offense. Color me intrigued.
“The Knicks possess eight future first-round picks — four of their own and four acquired via trades — to use in a package. New York also has stockpiled young players, such as Quentin Grimes who is believed to be of interest to Utah, sources said,” Charania wrote.
During his three Summer League games for the Knicks, Grimes has averaged 24 points, 4.3 assists, and 4 rebounds per game, proving he’s capable of hanging with NBA-level talent, and he did so while shooting 46.1% from the field, per the New York Post’s Zach Braziller.
Utah Has High Asking Price for Mitchell
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz, while fielding calls for Mitchell, have no problem in retaining him heading into the season, as they hold out for a monster trade package in return for their star player.
Let’s be clear about this: the Jazz are currently not close to a Donovan Mitchell trade. And much like Gobert, they have no issues whatsoever in keeping him. Either a team is going to meet the bar to make this a convo, or he will be with the Jazz. They are not giving him away
“The Jazz have been clear about this all summer. It would take a Godfather type of return for them to part ways with Donovan Mitchell. They said the same thing about Rudy Gobert, and most didn’t believe them. They went on to effectively break the trade market with that deal. It’s difficult to imagine them accepting something less for Mitchell than what they got for Gobert.
So, a team is going to have to meet that bar, or Mitchell is most likely going to remain with the Jazz,” Jones wrote in a July 13 article for The Athletic.
So, while the Knicks do have the necessary assets to meet Utah’s asking price, it remains to be seen if they’re willing to shred their core in order to land the All-Star guard, especially after recently adding Brunson to the rotation. But, given New York’s long pursuit of a new star talent, anything is possible.
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Knicks Enter Trade Negotiations for $163 Million All-Star: Report