The Utah Jazz and New York Knicks continue their negotiations around Donovan Mitchell.
The Knicks are desperately trying to land the 25-year-old, yet the Jazz keep playing hardball as they have no rush to deal him. With three years left in his contract, they can afford to play this out until the season, if not further.
Knicks Were 'Turned Off'
That's why they intend to make the most of their leverage and reportedly asked for seven first-round picks plus players for the Louisville product:
"According to multiple industry sources, the Knicks were turned off by Utah team president Danny Ainge’s initial demands, when he asked in July for a package of seven first-round picks and players. Talks died, but recently there has been renewed back-and-forth," reported Marc Berman of The New York Post.They Won't Pay That Much
Needless to say, the Knicks don't intend to meet such a hefty asking price. As high as they're into Mitchell, that kind of deal would seriously hurt them in the future:
"The Knicks are still trying to find a way to bring Donovan Mitchell home in a way that makes sense," wrote Berman. "The Knicks’ major concern, according to sources, is giving away too many future assets, which could leave them stuck in an area far below championship contender."Mitchell Wants To Be In NY
Also, it's not like they need to bet against themselves. Mitchell hasn't formally requested a trade but has made it clear that he wants to be in New York, per Berman:
"Mitchell wants to be a Knick, and that’s huge to the team’s brass. Mitchell has made himself visible in New York this offseason, starting with attendance at Rangers playoff games and showing up at Rucker Park as recently as Thursday," added Berman. "The Westchester County native always spends offseasons in New York, but made just one public appearance last summer — at a Naomi Osaka tennis event in Queens last August."Jazz Want To Squeeze Them
ESPN's Brian Windhorst had already reported that the Jazz would likely demand a 'historical pick haul' from the Knicks in any deal for Mitchell, even bigger than what they got for Rudy Gobert:
"They're the ones in need of a star, and they have the most ammunition to trade… I do think he is good chance that Donovan Mitchell ends up on the Knicks at the end of all this… We're going to see a historical pick haul," Windhorst said.So, chances are that we'll have to wait before anything gets done.
]]>The Inquisitr
