It's not a secret that the New York Knicks have made Donovan Mitchell their top priority for the upcoming NBA season.
Some around the league think that Mitchell to the Knicks is inevitable, although talks have reportedly stalled over the past couple of weeks.
The Knicks have the best potential package to offer, and Mitchell would like to go back home. Nonetheless, the Utah Jazz won't let him go at a discount.
If anything, Knicks insider Ian Begley reported that any deal would have to include RJ Barrett, a player once considered untouchable in trade talks:
"There’s been some conflicting reports on the Utah Jazz and RJ Barrett amid the Knicks’ pursuit of Donovan Mitchell. While some reports state that the Jazz have had no in interest in Barrett, I don’t believe that is the case," Begley reported. "Earlier this month – before reports emerged that Utah was willing to listen on Mitchell trade offers – the Jazz asked the Knicks about a package that included Mitchell Robinson, Barrett, other players, and at least three first-round picks."
This shouldn't come as a surprise, as the Jazz were reportedly working the numbers on a potential extension for Barrett, should he arrive in Utah:
"Around that time, members of the Jazz were also making educated guesses/projections on what an extension for Barrett may look like," Begley wrote. "The idea that the Jazz were thinking about what a Barrett extension may look like isn’t surprising. Any team in Utah’s position would want to project an extension for him into any possible trade scenarios."
Also, considering his age, upside, and the teams that have shown interest in Mitchell, Barrett points out as the best player they could get in return:
"But the idea that the Jazz asked about a package including Barrett and tried to estimate what an extension would look like for the player tells you that Utah had a degree of interest in Barrett," Begley added. "Around the same time, some with the Jazz ranked Barrett among the best potential players they could receive in a trade from New York."
But, then again, Mitchell is still under contract for the long run, so it's not like the Jazz are obliged to make a move right now. If anything, they could wait until the season starts before letting their young star go.
So, if the Knicks don't want to bet against themselves, they won't rush to make any offer they'd end up regretting somewhere down the line.
