Donovan Mitchell

An anonymous NBA executive reportedly said recently that they would be selective over who they would trade reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes for if they were in control of the Toronto Raptors.

Speaking Friday on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (h/t HoopsHype), ESPN's Tim MacMahon said an executive who he respects told him they would trade Barnes to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant, but not to the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell.

Durant and Mitchell are viewed as the top two players on the NBA trade block currently, and the Raptors may have enough ammunition to trade for one of them if they so choose.

Durant signed a four-year contract extension with the Nets last year, but his business manager, Rich Kleiman, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps) in June that he had requested a trade.

Then, after the Jazz traded All-Star center Rudy Gobert in July, Wojnarowski reported that Utah was willing to listen to offers for its three-time All-Star guard in Mitchell.

Neither Durant nor Mitchell has been moved yet, presumably due to high asking prices that may have been exacerbated by the Jazz getting four first-round picks and several players for Gobert.

The Raptors have been linked to Durant more so than Mitchell, but Wojnarowski reported last month that they considered Barnes a "non-starter" in a trade for KD.

Barnes, 21, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft out of Florida State. He made an instant impact for the Raptors, averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 74 contests as a rookie while shooting a strong 49.2 percent from the field.

By adding Barnes to a core that included Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr., the Raptors reached the playoffs with a 48-34 record last season, improving significantly on the 27-45 mark they posted one year earlier.

While trading the reigning Rookie of the Year and a player with perennial All-Star potential in Barnes is a worrisome proposition, Durant could prove to be the piece Toronto needs to get into championship contention.

While Durant is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, the 33-year-old veteran is coming off a hugely productive season that saw him average 29.9 points per game.

KD also boasts one of the most impressive resumes of anyone in the league with 12 All-Star selections, four scoring titles, two NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards and one NBA MVP award.

Trading for Durant would perhaps be akin to when the Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs for a package headlined by DeMar DeRozan in 2018.

Leonard only stayed with the Raptors for one season before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, but he led them to their first NBA title and was named NBA Finals MVP.

Mitchell has great potential as a scorer and is just 25 years of age, but the Jazz haven't made it past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure, so he doesn't necessarily carry the same type of reward that a trade for Durant would.

Of course, the Raptors could stand pat and be players in the Eastern Conference as their young players like Barnes continue to improve, but Durant may be the key to vying for a championship immediately.

If the New York Knicks are going to acquire All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, they reportedly may have to do it without the inclusion of Julius Randle.

Appearing Wednesday on SiriusXM NBA Radio's Give & Go, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said the Jazz don't want Randle, but they do want RJ Barrett and six first-round draft picks:

Mitchell has reportedly been on the trade block since shortly after the Jazz dealt All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade in July, and the Knicks have been the team most closely associated to the talented guard.

New York was initially viewed as the front-runner for Mitchell, but things went silent on that front until recently.

On Tuesday, Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic reported the Jazz and Knicks had re-engaged in trade talks with the Knicks making a new offer, although there was still "no traction" between the two sides on a deal.

Charania and Jones also reported that the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards are in on the Mitchell sweepstakes.

There is perhaps no team in the NBA with more ammo needed to land Mitchell than the Knicks, mainly because of the draft compensation they can offer.

The Knicks have eight first-round picks that are eligible to be traded, plus they have some high-upside, young players on their roster such as Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley.

If the Jazz want Barrett involved in a trade for Mitchell, that is likely a sticking point for the Knicks, as they would undoubtedly like for Mitchell, Barrett and Jalen Brunson to be their core.

The 22-year-old Barrett was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, and he is coming off a strong season that saw him set career highs across the board with 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 three-pointers made per game.

Randle was an All-Star and won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award two seasons ago, but he took a step back last season and would perhaps be viewed by the Jazz as a salary dump.

While Randle averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game last season, he shot just 41.1 percent from the field and clearly wasn't the same player who led the Knicks to the playoffs one season earlier.

At 27, Randle has reached veteran status, and trading a young, three-time All-Star in Mitchell is a sign that the Jazz want to rebuild rather than take in experienced players.

Utah is under no obligation to trade Mitchell since he is under contract through at least 2025, meaning the Jazz may be content to wait it out in anticipation of the Knicks upping their offer once the start of the 2022-23 season draws closer.

The Los Angeles Lakers are eyeing deals beyond a trade for Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving or a package from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for veteran point guard Russell Westbrook, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

"If and when Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell get traded, the space to make a Westbrook trade probably opens a little wider with the costs getting cleared," Woike wrote. "Lakers sources insist they have options beyond the ones that have been reported (Irving, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner and others). Time should better reveal those once the bigger moves get made."

Irving has reportedly been interested in teaming up with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James in L.A. since before he opted in to his $36.9 million player option with the Nets for 2022-23.

On July 2, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that the Lakers and Nets were "actively engaged" in discussions centered around an Irving-Westbrook swap, adding that there was "palpable optimism" a deal could be reached this summer.

However, The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported last week that talks between the Lakers and Nets have ceased and likely won't resume until Kevin Durant, who requested a trade out of Brooklyn in June, is moved.

The Lakers and Pacers had engaged in trade talks involving Westbrook for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield earlier this summer. However, The Athletic's Bob Kravitz reported late last month that those negotiations were dead because the Lakers refused to include two first-round picks alongside Westbrook.

Westbrook had a disappointing 2021-22 season with the Lakers, his first in L.A. after a one-year stint with the Washington Wizards. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 78 games while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep.

It was arguably the 33-year-old's worst season in the NBA, and his trade value plummeted because of it.

If the Lakers are serious about wanting to move Westbrook, they almost certainly will have to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in any package. Unless they're willing to do that, the veteran point guard will likely remain in the Purple and Gold in 2022-23.

The Lakers do have a plan in place if they can't move Westbrook. Haynes reported earlier this week that the team is "hopeful for a corner-three shooting percentage bump from Russell Westbrook next season."

New head coach Darvin Ham said just a few weeks ago that he would like Westbrook to take more corner threes than he's ever taken in his career. That came after he told Andscape's Marc Spears that he had a plan for the veteran this season.

"I love Russell Westbrook, man. Just his mentality, his approach. Just to see him, a guy of that magnitude and everything he's done in the league to get hated on," Ham said. "But being me, I got a wholehearted plan, a clear plan on how I'm going to use him."

With the summer winding down, we'll see how desperate the Lakers get to move Westbrook and field a legitimate title contender.

The New York Knicks believe they're in a position of power in Donovan Mitchell talks.

Fred Katz of The Athletic reported the Knicks "know no one is coming close to them" as the Utah Jazz continue to explore trading their All-Star guard.

The Knicks have long been seen as the front-runner for Mitchell, a New York native who spent much of his early childhood in the city.

Equipped with as many as eight future first-round picks to trade, Knicks President of Basketball Operations Leon Rose has more than enough assets to complete a trade right now. That said, it's clear the Knicks do not want to throw all of their future assets into a Mitchell trade and repeat the same mistake they made 11 years prior with Carmelo Anthony.

Like Mitchell, Anthony was a New York native spinning his wheels on a mediocre Western Conference team. The Knicks went all-in to acquire the All-Star forward and pair him with Amar'e Stoudemire, but the results proved largely disappointing. New York never made it past the second round of the playoffs with Anthony, thanks in large part to an inability to surround him with talent.

The Knicks know Mitchell alone is not enough to create a perennial contender. Mitchell's Jazz teams had the NBA's best defensive big man in Rudy Gobert and a strong complement of veteran role players who fit Quin Snyder's system. They still continually fell short in the playoffs, never making it past the second round and exiting in the first three of the last four years.

Cashing in every future draft pick would consign the Knicks to a similar fate—if not worse given they have no player of Gobert's caliber to pair with Mitchell. New York is coming off a 37-45 campaign that saw its best player, Julius Randle, feud with fans and disappoint under the spotlight of expectations. A core of Mitchell, Randle and RJ Barrett isn't scratching the surface of competing against the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks' best hope is that they remain the clubhouse leader with the best offer in place—one that allows them to acquire Mitchell and gives them enough breathing room to add another co-star in the future.

The New York Knicks reportedly "want to hang onto" point guard Derrick Rose despite rumors his contract could be important in the team's pursuit of Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported Friday on the HoopsHype podcast the Knicks and Jazz haven't been close to an agreement on Mitchell throughout the offseason, and that remains the case with several sticking points, including Rose being a "favorite" of head coach Tom Thibodeau and the team's hesitation to include young players on team-friendly contracts.

New York has been the most frequently mentioned possible landing spot for Mitchell, a three-time All-Star, but discussions have been sluggish.

That's actually been the case around the NBA ever since the Minnesota Timberwolves paid a high price, headlined by four first-round picks and a pick swap, to acquire defensive cornerstone Rudy Gobert from the Jazz.

Now every front office must weigh offers for their players against that package, which also included impact veterans Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley.

It's no surprise the Jazz would want something similar for Mitchell. In this case, they're targeting the likes of Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes from the Knicks, per Jones.

New York has remained hesitant throughout the offseason about going all-in to acquire a marquee name, though.

In mid-July, SNY's Ian Begley reported the Knicks' front office was concerned "there wouldn't be enough left on the roster to field a contending team" if it paid a king's ransom for a player like Mitchell.

The key question may be whether the Jazz are totally focused on starting a full-scale rebuild, which would receive another boost from a monster return for Mitchell, or if they're OK keeping him while the roster reconstruction continues.

Jones reported it's the latter, at least at the current stage.

"They don't feel like they have to trade Mitchell or are obligated," he said on the HoopsHype podcast. "They don't feel an urgency to trade him. They think they have multiple roads back to being the team they were a couple of years ago."

There also isn't any contract pressure, as Mitchell's deal runs through 2024-25 with a player option for 2025-26.

So the Jazz are in a position where they can demand interested teams pay their price, and so far the Knicks haven't shown a willingness to part with that many assets.

As for Rose, he'll likely be ticketed for a smaller role this season following the free-agent signing of Jalen Brunson to run the team's offense, but he could still provide valuable minutes off the bench while being a mentor for the team's young players.

The 2010-11 NBA MVP is entering the final guaranteed season of his three-year, $43.6 million contract, though the Knicks hold a club option for 2023-24.

As the wait to see if Donovan Mitchell gets traded before the start of the 2022-23 season continues, there is new insight into why the Utah Jazz would consider moving their 25-year-old superstar.

Per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, there is an "overwhelming" feeling among NBA insiders that Mitchell would "likely" leave the Jazz when he can opt out of his current deal after the 2024-25 season.

It's long been speculated that Mitchell would eventually look to leave Utah at some point in his career.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon said in February on an episode of The Hoop Collective podcast there was "speculation around the league that market size might matter" to Mitchell amid a discussion about him potentially leaving the Jazz.

Following Rudy Gobert's trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package that included four first-round draft picks, the indication seemed to be that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was going to tear down the roster and begin a long-term rebuild.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on July 12 that Utah had started taking calls from opposing teams about Mitchell, but the "asking price appears to be steep" for the three-time All-Star.

The New York Knicks have been the team most frequently linked to Mitchell. The Athletic's Shams Charania and Tony Jones reported last month that the Jazz and Knicks discussed the framework of a deal.

Things appear to have stalled out between the two sides, with Charania saying on Jan. 29 the Jazz and Knicks haven't spoken in two weeks.

The Jazz don't need to be in a hurry to get a deal done, because Mitchell still has three more guaranteed years left on his contract. They could drag things out until the trade deadline during the season or even wait until next offseason and still expect a strong return.

Trading Mitchell would almost certainly bring back a significant return to the Jazz. He has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of his first five seasons.

Donovan Mitchell is no closer to becoming a member of the New York Knicks.

Trade discussions involving Mitchell between the Utah Jazz and Knicks have "stalled out," according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania. Other teams still remain in play for the veteran, including the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards.

"As of right now, sources tell me that talks between the Jazz and the Knicks around a Donovan Mitchell trade have stalled out. I'm told there hasn't been contact between the two sides in roughly the last two weeks.

"... But in the meantime, I'm told that the Jazz are continuing conversations with other teams that are interested in Mitchell. Teams like Charlotte and Washington, I'm told. But overall, throughout this entire process, the Knicks have been the focus of many around the league, including the Jazz, when it comes to Donovan Mitchell, because they have eight first-round draft picks at their disposal to use via trade. They have a couple of young players like Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, that could be of interest to teams around the league, including the Jazz in a deal for Donovan Mitchell. So, all eyes will continue to be on the Knicks as a potential suitor, but as of right now, no new movement on Mitchell to the Knicks."

NBA insider Marc Stein reported last week on Stein Line Live (via HoopsHype) that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge was eyeing seven of New York's eight available first-round draft picks in a package for Mitchell.

That comes as little surprise as Ainge and the Jazz already set the market for blockbuster deals earlier this summer by trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 No. 22 pick Walker Kessler and four first-round picks.

Charania and The Athletic's Tony Jones reported earlier this month that the Knicks were "the focused destination" for a Mitchell trade because the franchise can offer the best package of picks and young players.

However, SNY's Ian Begley reported that the Knicks are "wary of trading the combination of picks and players that it would take to land a player like Mitchell" because it would leave the franchise without enough left to contend for a title.

Mitchell, a New York native, has been linked to the Knicks for some time now.

If he were to land with the Knicks, it would be the team's second significant addition this summer. After unloading Kemba Walker, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel, New York signed former Dallas Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal in free agency.

Adding Mitchell to a starting unit that includes Brunson, R.J. Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson would surely make the Knicks a playoff contender and could potentially help the franchise make a deep playoff run for the first time since 2000 when it reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 25-year-old has been one of the best guards in the NBA since making his debut in 2017. During the 2021-22 campaign, he averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 67 games while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from deep.

However, there's clearly some competition for the veteran, so things should heat up as we inch closer to the 2022-23 season.