The Jazz and Knicks are discussing a deal that would send Donovan Mitchell to New York, sources tell Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic.
According to The Athletic’s duo, the Jazz are listening to offers from multiple teams, but the Knicks have become the “focused destination.” Both teams have discussed the framework of a deal in the past 24 hours, Charania and Jones report.
New York possesses several future first-round picks and young players to package for the three-time All-Star, including second-year guard Quentin Grimes, whom the Jazz are believed to be interested in, sources tell The Athletic. Grimes was the No. 25 pick of the 2021 draft, shot 38.1% from three-point range as a rookie while playing solid defense and has had a strong Summer League performance in Las Vegas over the past week.
Utah is focused on a return centered around draft picks and players on rookie-scale contracts, per Charania and Jones. Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported earlier that the Jazz were keying in on a package centered on draft picks.
After Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said the Jazz are open to moving any of the players acquired from the Timberwolves, Charania and Jones go a step further, saying that there are no untouchable players on Utah’s roster, and all of the team’s veterans have been made available. Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and Jordan Clarkson have all drawn interest in trade talks.
The Jazz apparently view draft picks as the best way to rebuild the roster, with CEO Danny Ainge recently discussing the subject of the team’s limitations following the Rudy Gobert trade.
“You’re over the tax, no draft picks, and our team loses in the first round,” Ainge said on Saturday. “It wasn’t fun for us. We want it to be fun for our fans and our players, but we just haven’t had much flexibility to do anything over the last little while.”
The Knicks are motivated to present a “significant package” for Mitchell, according to Charania and Jones, but as Begley wrote, they’re wary of giving up too much because they want to have enough depth to be a contender in the East.
The Athletic’s duo says there’s “incredible interest” on the Knicks’ side to bring the 25-year-old home to New York, where Mitchell spends a lot of time in the offseason. Still, the Jazz have a high asking price for the talented guard, so it remains to be seen what a potential deal might ultimately look like.
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