Jazz wanted Knicks to increase offer of two unprotected firsts for Donovan Mitchell

You can build successful NBA teams in different ways. But the most straightforward path is to hit on your first-round picks.

So it’s probably not a coincidence that in the last 23 years, only two Knick first-round picks have stayed with the club beyond their rookie contract: Charlie Ward and RJ Barrett.

The Knicks broke that long streak this week when Barrett finalized a four-year deal that can be worth as much as $120 million with bonuses.

Earlier in the offseason, New York agreed to a four-year deal with Mitchell Robinson.

If both Robinson and Barrett finish their current contracts in New York, they’ll be the longest tenured Knick teammates since Ward and Allan Houston (Ward and Houston played seven-plus seasons together between 1996-1997 and 2003-2004).

The Knicks last experienced sustained success with those late 1990s teams that featured Ward and Houston.

The club obviously hasn’t had much success – or consistency – in the two decades since.

But keeping Barrett and Robinson for the next four seasons (five in Barrett’s case), would be a step in the right direction.

Both players were drafted by former Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry. Robinson’s relationship with members of the organization who were in New York when he was drafted played a role in his decision to return. Perry remains GM for the Knicks – the same role he had under Mills. That’s an example of continuity benefitting the organization. Mills and Perry also decided to take Barrett amid some in the front office favoring a trade down in the 2019 NBA draft.

So the fact that both Barrett and Robinson will remain in New York is a credit to both the current and past regimes.

The Knicks decided to extend Barrett amid trade talks with the Jazz over Donovan Mitchell. As SNY reported, Utah sought Barrett in any Mitchell return. Now that Barrett has agreed to an extension, including him in a Mitchell trade becomes very complicated.

The Knicks and Jazz will almost certainly re-engage on Mitchell trade talks prior to training camp. But, based on where talks stood previously, it will be difficult to get a deal done without Barrett. Some people on both sides of the talks felt that Barrett was a linchpin to any potential deal.

(For what it’s worth, teams who have had interest in Barrett believe they could have had a shot to trade for him if Utah acquired Barrett in a deal. Those teams believe Utah would have at least considered the idea of trading Barrett for additional first-round picks if the Jazz acquired him in a deal for Mitchell).

Based on what I’d heard from people briefed on the talks, I’d expect Utah to covet Quentin Grimes in any current/future talks. Utah had sought one of Grimes, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley in several packages, including some that included Barrett. So I’d assume that the Jazz would want at least two of those players in any deal moving forward. The sticking point will probably be Grimes and the value of the first-round picks New York is willing to include. In prior talks, the Jazz wanted New York to increase its offer of two unprotected picks in various packages discussed.

Previously, the Knicks had been unwilling to meet Utah’s high asking price (picks and players) in any packages that didn’t include Barrett. Will that change now that Barrett is off the table? It’s more likely that the Knicks engage a third team that can send draft compensation to Utah.

The Lakers, who had previously expressed strong interest in Cam Reddish and are reportedly open to trading Russell Westbrook, seem like a logical candidate. They have tradeable first-round picks and a need for shooting. New York’s Evan Fournier – a strong perimeter shooter - would almost certainly be in any Mitchell deal for salary purposes. (Several New York decision-makers are opposed to including Derrick Rose in a trade. Rose’s salary would also help make the math work).

So maybe there is a three-team scenario that lands Mitchell in New York. Barrett can still be included in a Mitchell trade, but the extension makes it very complicated to do so. So when the teams re-engage, it seems like the easiest pathway to a deal is by engaging a third team to add a first-round pick. I’d expect Utah to continue to push for Grimes in any package.

The one thing in New York’s favor? There appear to be no other serious suitors for Mitchell who can match the Knicks’ offers. Miami doesn’t have the draft compensation and several members of the Nets are comfortable with where the roster stands and don’t see a need to aggressively pursue Mitchell.

The Jazz are under no obligation to trade Mitchell. But bringing him to training camp after engaging in trade talks during the offseason could create a challenge for first-year head coach Will Hardy.

Those are a few of the many factors to keep an eye on as we get closer to training camp.