Knicks Future Is Cloudy With Or Without Donovan Mitchell

RJ Barrett extension now only complicates things with Jazz

By Nick Ashooh – Aug 31, 2022, 4:55am

As the New York Knicks and Utah Jazz continue to play games like a couple that's just started dating, the “where will Donovan Mitchell end up?” part of the equation is still without any real concrete answer.

The Knicks' decision to finalize a four-year contract extension with forw ard RJ Barrett reportedly means the current talks between the two teams is done according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Of course, in the usual NBA offseason fashion, Woj reiterated that neither the Knicks nor Jazz have ruled out circling back to the Mitchell talks before the 2022-23 NBA season starts, because of course.

This has just become two organizations trying to squeeze as much as they can out of their negotiations, with the Knicks now using Barrett's “poison-pill” provision and hollow charade of making it look like they're moving on from the trade as the latest stunt. Team President Leon Rose reportedly set a Monday night deadline on the deal before finalizing this extension, but we all know this isn't the last we'll hear about the two teams talking.

In the end, the other rumored teams don't have what the Jazz want in a deal, and the Knicks will get desperate enough to bring the three-time All-Star to The Garden and cave on what Danny Ainge is asking for.

The problem is, this still doesn't push the Knicks into contention this season, and it'll take a lot more to actually be taken seriously.

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