If the relationship between Utah Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert is indeed not 'salvageable' as a recent report indicates, what could the Knicks offer to try to bring the New York native Mitchell back to the Big Apple?
The 23-year-old Mitchell, who has career averages of 22.7 points, 4.0 assists and 4.1 rebounds, is eligible for an extension with Utah this offseason and can become a restricted free agent following the 2020-21 season.
Of course, it's a bit premature to think that Utah would want to break up their All-Star duo to begin with, and it also may be a bit of stretch to think that the Jazz would trade Mitchell before Gobert.
But SNY's Ian Begley has noted that when Leon Rose took over shortly before the 2020 trade deadline, one goal was to have enough assets, post deadline, to make a push to trade for a star player who requests a trade.
So if Mitchell fits that billing, what could a potential trade package look like?
An opposing team executive tells Begley that any package that doesn't involve Mitchell Robinson or RJ Barrett and two future first-round picks would probably be a non-starter for Utah.
Robinson, meanwhile, wouldn't be much of a fit for Utah with Gobert still in the mix, so the exec speculated that a package of Barrett and two unprotected firsts would get New York in the conversation for Mitchell.
Utah would need to add roughly $2 million in salary to make the math work.
And if the Knicks didn't want to offer Barrett in any deal? The exec speculated to Begley that the Knicks would likely need to include three future first-round picks (one unprotected) in that scenario.
The Knicks currently have seven first-round picks over the next four drafts, thanks in part to deals that sent Kristaps Porzingis and Marcus Morris out of New York.