Knicks Rumors: Jazz Insiders Upset with William Wesley Courtside at Mavericks Game

Some members of the Utah Jazz organization were reportedly peeved to see New York Knicks executive vice president William Wesley courtside for a game during their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks this week.

According to SNY's Ian Begley, Wesley was sitting with Knicks forward Julius Randle, who is a Dallas native.

The issue from Utah's perspective, however, is that Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has been linked to the Knicks in the past. As such, some "prominent members" of the Jazz organization were "surprised and upset" to see Wesley in Dallas.

Begley noted that Wesley wasn't the only Knicks executive to attend a playoff game, as consultant Gersson Rosas was present for a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies with Quentin Dolan, who is the son of Knicks owner James Dolan.

Rosas, who was formerly a member of the Timberwolves organization, took Dolan on a tour of the T-Wolves' practice facility, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

The Jazz were seemingly of the belief that there was a deeper reason for Wesley attending their game, though, especially since the Knicks have been so heavily linked to Mitchell in recent years.

In March, Steve Popper of Newsday reported that it is "an open secret that the Knicks are targeting" the 25-year-old guard.

There has been no shortage of speculation regarding the Jazz possibly blowing things up if they are unable to go on a deep playoff run this season, and that could include trading Mitchell.

Not only is Mitchell a three-time All-Star with a career scoring average of 23.9 points per game, but he was born in Elmsford, New York, which suggests there could be mutual interest between him and the Knicks.

It was noted by Begley that Mitchell may not have been the only player Wesley had his eye on during the playoff game, though.

Begley reported that the Knicks have been linked to Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, who will be a free agent during the offseason, unlike Mitchell, who would have to be acquired via trade.

With superstar guard Luka Doncic missing the first three games of the Dallas vs. Utah series, Brunson has performed at an elite level, averaging 32.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest.

Now that Brunson is offering a glimpse into what he could potentially do as a full-time starter, perhaps he is the player on New York's radar even more so than Mitchell.