Knicks Trade for Donovan Mitchell Tougher After RJ Barrett Extension

It wasn’t easy for the Knicks to trade for Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell in the first place, and now it may be even tougher.

Per Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the fact the Knicks are signing RJ Barrett to a four-year contract extension will make a Mitchell deal more difficult than before — and that comes after a summer when the sides failed to reach any sort of agreement to begin with.

As Begley reported, both the Jazz and Knicks felt that Barrett was the “linchpin” in a potential Mitchell trade. But Barrett now will not be part of any trade, much less one that sends him to the Jazz.

The Jazz and Knicks aren’t currently negotiating, but multiple sources and reports suggest that they could revisit talks ahead of training camp at the end of the month. This marks the second time this offseason that talks have broken off, with the first taking place in late June.

The sides reconvened at the Las Vegas Summer League and had been talking ever since. Or at least, until Monday, when the news broke of an extension for Barrett.

The Knicks aren’t the only suitor for Mitchell, of course. The Wizards, Hornets and Cavaliers have all reportedly spoken to the Jazz, with the Wizards believing they’ve put together a pretty strong offer.

But for right now, it appears Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is holding out hope that someone offers him too much.