A prominent competitor in the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes has reportedly bowed out, and the Jazz are reportedly motivated to deal their three-time All-Star within the next month.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Cavaliers have backed out of Mitchell trade talks, leaving the Knicks even moreso in the driver’s seat to land their coveted star. The Heat are still an option, but they don’t possess nearly the amount of draft assets that New York holds, and would likely need a third team to swing a deal.
Bringing in a third team might take more time, which could also help the Knicks given ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reporting that the Jazz want to get a deal done before the start of training camp, which is roughly a month away.
“It sounds to me in talking to people around the league that the…want to go before training camp,” Windhorst said on his podcast, Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective.
“It does sound as I talk to folks in the league that the Jazz are trying to apply the gas here. To try to juice the offer, especially juice the offer from the New York Knicks.”
The Jazz, according to recent reports, would want RJ Barrett in a trade, while the Knicks could be holding out to try and bring down Utah’s high asking price. But with Cleveland out of the running, the Knicks are potentially gaining more leverage in trade talks.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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