RJ Barrett extension muddies Donovan Mitchell trade talk

Donovan Mitchell might not play for the Utah Jazz this upcoming season, but chances are, it won’t because he was traded to the New York Knicks. 

According to reports, the Knicks agreed to a 4-year, $120 million extension with soon-to-be fourth-year guard RJ Barrett in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, all but nixing a potential trade that would land Mitchell in New York.

New York’s pursuit of Mitchell has consistently made headlines this offseason, as the Knicks and Jazz worked to move closer to a blockbuster swap that would bring “Spida” back to his home state. 

However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that although the two sides came close to a trade, neither was willing to budge when it came to the demands of the other.  

The Knicks also made some history for their franchise when it came to extending Barrett, as he became the organization’s first draft pick to agree to a multi-year extension in 23 years. The last was Charlie Ward in 1999.

Barrett averaged career-highs in points (20.0), rebounds (5.8) and assists (3.0) last season, starting 70 games for New York, which missed the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons.