RJ Barrett to Sign Extension

There has been yet another twist in the Donovan Mitchell trade saga; however, this one is probably for the better. Knicks’ star forward, RJ Barrett, is finalizing a 4 year, $120 million contract extension. This report came out late last night and seemingly indicates that Barrett will no longer be discussed in trades for Mitchell. New York could have extended Barrett in early July but has waited until now in order to keep Barrett as a possible trade piece in a Donovan Mitchell deal. 

I for one, as I’m sure other Knicks fans are, am extremely enthusiastic about the front office offering Barrett an extension. He’s a 22-year-old coming off a career-high in scoring, 20 ppg, while averaging six rebounds and three assists. Barrett is a budding all-star, and it would have been foolish for the Knicks to include him in any trade deal, even for an all-star like Donovan Mitchell. If a Mitchell trade had happened and Barrett was included, I’m afraid to see what would happen to the Knicks fanbase. Thankfully, this won’t be the case. Only one player in NBA history has ever been traded right after signing a rookie extension.

Without Barrett in trade talks for Mitchell, though I’m not completely sure he ever was, the Jazz need to set their sights on another young Knick. The most likely candidates seem to be Obi Toppin and Quentin Grimes (the players most commonly mentioned in trade talks). A potential deal I like for New York would include three teams - the Knicks, the Jazz, and the Lakers. The Lakers, while not saying it outright, have wanted to move on from their former all-star guard Russell Westbrook. In this deal I propose the Knicks receive Donovan Mitchell and Russell Westbrook (who they can either cut or trade again later), and the Lakers receive Evan Fournier, a salary dump for the Knicks and a top 3-point marksman for a struggling perimeter team in LA, and the Jazz receive Quentin Grimes and a plethora of first-round picks from the Knicks. I think this deal works out for all teams involved. The Lakers move on from Westbrook and replace him with an off-ball, volume three-point shooter, the Jazz gets a great young player and many future picks (something Ainge has said he prioritizes), and the Knicks get their star to pair with RJ Barrett.

Now it’s time to see if the Jazz are still willing to make a deal, sans RJ Barrett.