Despite their offseason-long pursuit of Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, the New York Knicks were unable to get a deal across the line. Instead, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to swoop in and get a deal done to bring him to the Eastern Conference without having to move Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, or Evan Mobley.
It’s a tough blow for the Knicks, which were viewed as the favorites to bring Mitchell on board from the moment the Jazz made him available in the aftermath of the Rudy Gobert trade. Reports indicated that the two teams were in talks until early this week, but things apparently broke down due to a deadline of Monday night set by New York to make something happen. As a result, the Knicks moved their attention to a contract extension for talented youngster R.J. Barrett, as the two sides hammered out a 4-year extension worth up to $120 million.
The deal was merely reported earlier this week, though, and on Thursday afternoon, New York officially announced that Barrett is staying. The catch: The extension got announced less than 15 minutes after Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news that Mitchell was on the move.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Donovan Mitchell in a trade, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022
.@nyknicks Sign RJ Barrett to Contract Extension pic.twitter.com/c4okpiPsiY
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) September 1, 2022
With Mitchell off the table, Barrett, who the Jazz reportedly coveted in talks with New York, should be a crucial piece going forward for the Knicks alongside offseason acquisition Jalen Brunson.