The RJ Barrett extension complicated the Donovan Mitchell to the New York Knicks trade that has been on the works for months (and at one point, its completion was thought to be imminent). Still, the Knicks are stocked with enough assets that an acceptable trade between the Knicks and the Utah Jazz remains possible.

As ESPN's Bobby Marks noted, the Knicks only need to send out a minimum of $24.7 million in combined salaries, while the Jazz can take back up to $38 million.

At the end of the day, the Jazz may have been holding out for better draft pick capital in return rather than take on Barrett and his hefty extension. While Barrett is a 22-year-old guard/forward with considerable shot creation abilities and room for growth defensively, he has huge question marks surrounding his efficiency and decision-making, which Jazz Executive Danny Ainge may have been wary of.

The ball remains in the Knicks' court; they own their next seven first round picks (FRP), four of which they can trade, in addition to pick swapping options. The Knicks also own the Dallas' 2023 FRP (top-10 protected), Washington's 2023 FRP (top-14 protected), Detroit's 2023 FRP (top-18 protected), and Milwaukee's 2025 FRP (top-4 protected).

In short, the Knicks are rich in draft assets, and the Jazz, who received four first-round picks and a pick swap in the notorious Rudy Gobert trade, will surely receive yet another haul for Mitchell.

The only question is how much the Knicks are willing to give up. The sticking point in negotiations thus far have been the Jazz' ask of four unprotected first-round picks, similar to what they received for Gobert, but the Knicks aren't budging yet.

For the two sides to come to an agreement, this might be the trade that makes the most sense for both parties:

Jazz receive: Immanuel Quickley or Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin or Cam Reddish, Evan Fournier, Knicks' 2023 unprotected first-round pick, 2024 pick swap, 2025 unprotected first-round pick, 2027 unprotected first-round pick, Mavericks' 2023 first-round pick (top-10 protected), 

Knicks receive: Donovan Mitchell

Why The Jazz Do It

The Jazz get to pick between Quickley or Grimes and Toppin or Reddish, two sets of players who make around the same amount (around 2 million and 5 million, respectively.) The Knicks should be more than willing to part with two of the four prospects, especially if the return is perennial All-Star Mitchell. The Jazz should be targeting Quickley and Reddish, as the two have shown flashes of explosive scoring and shot creation, but the Knicks might be hesitant to let go of Reddish less than a year after acquiring him from Atlanta.

Toppin is an active rim-runner who's shown some touch on the perimeter, but he has to channel his energy into more impactful bursts so he can figure out his potential as a dynamite scoring option. Grimes, as an alternative, pales in comparison to Quickley's shot creation and playmaking, but profiles well as a 3&D complementary player alongside ball-dominant players like Mitchell, Barrett, and Julius Randle.

Fournier is only thrown into the trade for salary purposes. The 29-year old Frenchman's deal runs until 2025 for $18 million annually, but he struggled with inconsistency last season. Contending teams looking for wing depth at the trade deadline could make a desperation play for Fournier. Meanwhile, the Mavericks' first-round pick might not amount to much because of Luka Doncic.

But the real prize for the Jazz is the Knicks' three unprotected first-round picks. The Knicks haven't been the most stable franchise, and a few injuries and inconsistencies here and there, and the Jazz are in business. The picks swap should help too, but that could be moot, as Mitchell's departure could mean pole position for the Jazz in the next draft lotteries to come.

Why The Knicks Do It

The Knicks' playoff success in 2021 turned out to be short-lived, as down years from Randle, Barrett, and the inconsistencies of the Knicks supporting cast spelled them doom last season. The addition of Mitchell gives them a bonafide first option who could take the offensive burden off the overworked shoulders of Randle and Barrett.

For all of his shortcomings defensively, Mitchell is someone the Knicks could rely on night-in, night-out to carry the team with his shot-making.

While Mitchell and the Jazz have had some spectacular failures in the playoffs, he's at least gotten them into the postseason consistently, something the Knicks couldn't say. (The Knicks have made the playoffs only twice in the past 10 seasons.) To top that off, Mitchell has absolutely carried the load offensively for the Jazz in the playoffs, most notably in the bubble where he and Jamal Murray traded 50-bombs.

Three unprotected first-round picks, in addition to the two prospects the Jazz decide to acquire, might appear to be a steep price, but players like Mitchell who are proven three-level scorers don't grow on trees.