Knicks Float Five Picks, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier For Donovan Mitchell

The Knicks remain in hot pursuit of Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, and it’s gotten to the point where the are willing to mortgage their future.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, New York’s latest proposal involved five first-round draft picks, as well as Obi Toppin and Evan Fournier … all for Mitchell.

Not surprisingly, Jazz CEO Danny Ainge declined. That offer, after all, is well below what Ainge is seeking in return, Charania noted.

Along with the Knicks, the Hornets and Wizards have reportedly talked to the Jazz about a Mitchell deal. But by all accounts, no one is trying as hard as the Knicks, who long to pair Mitchell in the backcourt with newcomer Jalen Brunson.

This report followed another from Charania and Tony Jones, also of The Athletic, which stated that the Jazz and Knicks have revisited talks following a brief hiatus. As we’ve noted previously, Utah reportedly doesn’t want RJ Barrett as part of the return package.

“The Jazz are known to be looking for a package of young players, as well as multiple first round picks in exchange for Mitchell,” RealGM noted, citing Charania. “The Knicks would very likely have to include Fournier or Derrick Rose in a trade for Mitchell, as they would be required for salary-matching purposes. The holdup from there becomes how many picks New York will include in a deal and which young players out of the group of Toppin, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley.”

“New York is motivated,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said recently. “They’re motivated to get Donovan Mitchell, but I think they’re also motivated to not just give up everything to get him. They’ve got four of their own unprotected first round picks. Now, people talk about seven or eight picks. I think a lot of those picks are conditional protected picks that are coming from places like Detroit and Washington. I don’t think the Jazz value those the way they do New York’s unprotected picks.”

Mitchell, 25, is 6-foot-1 and has spent his entire career with the Jazz. He averaged 25.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 67 games last season. While the Jazz are open to keeping him, it is seeming less and less likely he will return to Utah.