The Toronto Raptors were among several teams mentioned as a potential landing spot for disgruntled Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. Unfortunately, it seems like the rival New York Knicks have put themselves in the front of what has become a one-horse race for his services.
While the Jazz are giving away signs that they are ready to start rebuilding through the draft, the Knicks would like nothing more than to soar back into the playoff picture as soon as possible on the back of some standout performances from Mitchell.
Even after RJ Barrett inked a four-year contract extension, the Knicks and Jazz have been locked in on Mitchell dialogue for a considerable chunk of time. As a result, teams like the Raptors are so far way from consummating a deal that they might just give up all hope of acquiring him.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Jazz have not had any traction on a Mitchell trade with any team besides the Knicks. At this point, it looks like the Knicks are the only team that has a shot at Mitchell, even though the Raptors could make a compelling offer to the Jazz.
Donovan Mitchell trade update from @wojespn on @GetUpESPN:
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) August 30, 2022
- RJ Barrett was indeed the centerpiece of trade discussions between Jazz and Knicks
- Jazz covet unprotected draft picks from New York
- Utah has no traction with other teams
- Jazz still value Barrett after extension pic.twitter.com/aBlIz0gFS3
Will the Toronto Raptors trade for Donovan Mitchell?
Toronto’s most tradeable assets include Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby, both of whom ended up having fantastic seasons as tertiary scorers. While they aren’t the main stars for this team, Toronto would be foolish to offload one of them along with years of draft capital if they aren’t sold on Mitchell.
The Barrett extension might make it harder for the Jazz to take on additional salary in this trade, but it also doesn’t mean that he’s off the table in negotiations. Due to his combination of age and production, Barrett could be a more attractive trade chip than anything Toronto could offer.
While Mitchell would undoubtedly be a star that would come in and give this team some extra scoring power in the backcourt, it’s fair to question his perimeter defense and the fact that his teams have often been upset in the second round of the postseason.
“The Knicks' most recent offer for Donovan Mitchell included RJ Barrett and two unprotected first-round picks”
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) August 30, 2022
- @ShamsCharania
Mitchell in Toronto would have, at the very least, been a riveting saga that would have helped the Raptors become better contenders in the next few years. However, given Utah’s high asking price and the fact that the Knicks seem motivated to get a deal done, this trade probably isn’t happening for Toronto.