Insider Dishes on 'Low-Balling' Offers Jazz Have Received for Donovan Mitchell
The Utah Jazz and New York Knicks are far from reaching an agreement regarding the trade of three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic.
“The Knicks aren’t anywhere close to meeting Danny Ainge’s threshold,” said Jones on ESPN’s radio show The Drive.
Jones also commented on the offers that the Jazz have received up to this point.
“When I talk to my sources, I think the Jazz are a little disappointed that the offers—I don’t want to use the word 'low-balling'—but that’s probably the apt word to use, [the] adjective to use right now."
The Jazz still hold the cards as they have Mitchell under team control for three years. Utah can go into the new year with Mitchell on the roster, and revisit what offers are on the table all the way up to the trade deadline.
That being said, if Jazz executive Danny Ainge intends to go full tank mode and better his position in a loaded 2023 NBA draft, it would be advantageous for Utah to get closure on the matter before camp starts.
The Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Toronto Raptors have been mentioned recently in the rumor mill as a landing spot, but I question the logic of that happening. There would have to be some level of confidence that Mitchell could be re-signed to his next contract when he’s eligible for free agency in 2025.
The Knicks and Miami Heat seem like the most likely destinations to lock up Mitchell on a long-term deal. Also, the Knicks are loaded with draft picks and young talent on their rookie contracts. They have the means to trump any offers that may come Utah’s way.
We could be here for a while if Ainge can’t get another team to make a serious bid and force the Knicks to increase their offer.
Stay tuned
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.
