NBA Trade Rumors: Knicks Offered RJ Barrett, 2 1st-Round Picks for Donovan Mitchell

The New York Knicks reportedly dangled young wing RJ Barrett in trade talks with the Utah Jazz, in their pursuit of star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, before signing Barrett to a four-year extension worth up to $120 million.

"[The Knicks] most recent offer, I'm told, included Barrett as well as two unprotected first-round picks," Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on The Rally. "That was not deemed to being close enough by the Jazz in a trade, and that's why we saw the Knicks move forward with their own business and getting done this Barrett extension."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added earlier on Tuesday that the 22-year-old's extension "pauses several weeks of trade discussions for Mitchell between New York and Utah, and forces the two organizations, if they choose, to start over talks with significantly different considerations because of the poison pill provision now in Barrett's deal."

That poison pill provision essentially means that Barrett's outgoing value in a trade would be $10.9 million, but the incoming value for the Jazz if he was a part of a potential Mitchell trade would be $26.2 million, severely complicating negotiations. If Barrett was included in a Mitchell trade, it would essentially require the Knicks to find a third team to take back salary.

And per Woj, the Jazz "greatly valued Barrett as part of any Mitchell deal with New York, and a deal without him would require the Knicks to relinquish far more draft assets than they've shown a willingness to do, sources said.

Tony Jones of The Athletic added that the Jazz "were pushing for Barrett's inclusion" in a potential deal, adding that the Jazz "thought he would fit well into their overall system, and sources say Barrett's camp was bracing for the Duke product to be on the move."

Per that report, Utah values three players on New York's roster: Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin. And while Barrett—who averaged a career-high 20 points per game last season—now seems unlikely to be in the deal, New York "still feels it has the best package the Jazz can get for Mitchell."

Any such deal now, however, is likely to be centered around a war chest of draft picks, and just how many the Knicks are willing to part with—and whether it comes close to Utah's demands—remains up in the air.

Mitchell, 25, would be the sort of star the Knicks have been chasing for years. Through his five NBA seasons, he's averaged 23.9 points per game (28.3 PPG come the playoffs) and hasn't missed the postseason yet. He would give the team the top scoring option it has lacked since Carmelo Anthony's prime.

And assuming Barrett isn't in the trade, it would give the Knicks an intriguing core of Mitchell, Barrett, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. That's a pretty strong starting 5, at least on paper, and would put the Knicks firmly in the playoff conversation in the Eastern Conference.

But Barrett's extension, undoubtedly, has complicated the matter.