Spida-Man: Homecoming?

“What’s going on in Utah?” ESPN writer Brian Windhorst said.

Free agency is winding down to a close, and for most teams in the NBA, this transition means preparing for training camp with the players they have and getting ready for the upcoming season. But for a few teams, the offseason is not over just yet, specifically for the Utah Jazz and the New York Knicks this season.

After another disappointing exit in the first round in six games against the Dallas Mavericks, the Jazz wanted to take a new direction for their franchise. This change was headed by recent addition Danny Ainge, who joined at the end of 2021. While GM Justin Zanik dealt with day-to-day operations, Ainge was hired as CEO to handle big picture ideas for the team. For his first major, team-changing move as the new CEO, Ainge and the Jazz front office decided to trade three-time Defensive Player of the Year and center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for five players and five first-round picks. This move, two trades of veterans, forward Royce O’Neale and guard Patrick Beverley, for a first-round pick and two young players, respectively, along with the loss of eight-year head coach Quin Snyder, led to questions on the Jazz’s plan for the future and the intention with guard Donovan Mitchell: were they retooling around him, or were they rebuilding?

Mitchell is a budding star in the league, considered top 25 in the 2021-2022 season by ESPN Rating. He is a three-time All-Star and a killer in the playoffs as well, averaging 28.3 points per game for seventh all-time in career playoff points per game, so the Jazz’s decision with Mitchell will define the future outlook for the team. “We’re trying to build a championship team, but there’s no intent [to trade Mitchell], at all,” Zanik said soon after the Gobert trade. However, a few days later, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the “Utah Jazz [are] now willing to listen to [...] Mitchell trade scenarios,” leading to doubts surrounding Mitchell’s future in Utah. The new willingness to listen to trade offers has led the New York Knicks to become front runners for the Mitchell sweepstakes.

After another playoff-less season and one year removed from their unexpected appearance in the fourth seed, the Knicks were looking to retool their roster to make another run at the playoffs. This goal led to the creation of cap space by trading away and waiving five players in order to sign guard Jalen Brunson in the offseason. The Knicks have been establishing a young core, with 12 of their players being 25 or younger. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that “adding Mitchell, [the Knicks] believe, would be good enough for a 10-game leap to 47 victories.” The Knicks also have the most tradable assets out of the potential teams, with up to eight first-round picks and three pick swaps at their disposal.

Many believe that the match between Mitchell and the Knicks appears better than any other through his many ties to the city: he and his family are from New York. More importantly, Mitchell’s family now lives in New York. “[Mitchell] loves the Knicks. [Mitchell] loves being around his mom, his sister, his dad,” Mitchell’s former coach Rick Pitino said. “It would be very special for me as his coach to see him in a Knicks uniform, as an ex-Knicks coach.” Pitino is obviously biased in favor of a trade to occur, but his connection to Mitchell gives credence to his statements and important insight into how Mitchell might influence a potential trade to help move him to New York.

The Knicks and Jazz are the most likely scenario in which a trade occurs, meaning that it is trade or bust. With Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant situation resolved after he came to an agreement with the Nets to play in the upcoming season, a trade is now more likely to occur. However, both teams can’t come to terms with the package required for the trade. Berman reported that “the Knicks were turned off by […] a package of seven first-round picks and players.” The Jazz now want a return of six first-round picks and many young players. The Knicks believe that valuation is still too high, but the Jazz aren’t willing to back down on their demands, leading to a stalemate in trade talks.

As of the time of writing this article, talks are still developing, with a package of Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier, and five picks being put forth by the Knicks and discussions of a possible three-team deal with the Lakers. There are also rumors that the Jazz want to complete a trade before training camp. Now, with the Knicks signing a four-year extension with RJ Barrett, time is dwindling down on a trade, with less assets on the table. New York will have to wait and see whether the Jazz bite on the Knicks offer or if they stay put on their demands, but one thing is for certain. Look out for what’s going on in Utah with the Knicks.