New York Knicks goalkeeper RJ Barrett His agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports and WME Sports is completing a four-year extension that could be worth up to $120 million, complicating the franchise’s pursuit of the Utah Jazz All-Star franchise. Donovan Mitchell.
Barrett’s deal – which makes him the youngest $100 million player in Knicks history at 22 years old – halts several weeks of Mitchell’s business discussions between New York and Utah, and forces the two organizations, if they choose, to start talks with dramatically different considerations over the pill provision Toxic is now in the Barrett deal.
New York basketball operations chief Leon Rose has set a Monday evening deadline with Utah State to reach an agreement on a business deal for Mitchell or the Knicks commit to extending Barrett, sources said.
Sources said that while the Jazz and Knicks trade talks intensified and the gap on the points of agreement that included Barrett in the package tightened over the weekend and into Monday, there was still a gap in a deal for Mitchell. Once the Knicks and Jazz exhausted the discussions on Monday night, Rose and Duffy completed the qualifying extension for the players from the 2019 NBA Draft class.
Barrett’s deal ends a notable 23-year drought for the Knicks: It’s the first draft franchise to agree to a multi-year contract extension after the apprentice deal since Charlie Ward in 1999, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Barrett averaged 20 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3 assists for the Knicks before a season. He was the No. 3 pick overall in the 2019 draft of Duke, behind New Orleans’ Zion Williamson and Memphis Ja Morante.
Barrett is one of only five players in NBA history to have accumulated 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 three-pointers before his 22nd birthday, to join Kobe Bryant, Luka DoncicAnd the Kevin Durant And the LeBron James.
Sources said the Knicks included Barrett in Mitchell’s commercial bids, which is why the process of completing the extension took several more weeks. Barrett was a staple in many of the different trade differences discussed, but hurdles remained on Monday over the total unprotected first-round picks in the deal and the inclusion of Knicks guards. Quentin GrimesThe sources said.
However, Jazz greatly values Barrett as part of any Mitchell deal with New York, and that the deal without him would require the Knicks to give away far more draft assets than they have shown a willingness to do, sources said.
Once the Knicks committed to extending Barrett, management became resigned to the fact that there was a more difficult path to an unofficial deal to get Mitchell. However, the sources said that neither Utah nor New York is ruling out a resumption of talks before the start of training camps in late September.
The two sides have been discussing trade from time to time since early July. Of the 179 players in NBA history who received a poison pill, only one was transferred – Devin Harris in 2008.
For commercial purposes, the Toxic Pill is calculated using a formula that would set Barrett’s previous trading salary to Knicks at $10.9 million, but would require the team’s next salary to get him $26.2 million. The next restriction will be lifted out of Season 1 in July.
In order for Barrett to be included in a deal with The Jazz Company, the Knicks would need to find a third team with salary cap space to redirect Evan FournierContract worth $37 million.
Sources said the jazz band is not seriously involved anywhere else in the Mitchell deal now, making the possibility of him on the roster to start training camp a real thing.
Jazz Committed to Begin Rebuilding After Trading All-Star Center Rudy Gobert to Minnesota Timberwolves for five first-round picks in July. Mitchell, 25, is a three-time All-Star and New York resident, who would instantly become the franchise’s top player.
ESPN Front-Office Insider Bobby Marks contributed to this report.
