Donovan Mitchell has been the subject of trade rumors all throughout the 2022 NBA offseason. Among his suitors have been Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks. The Knicks are looking to bounce back from a rough 2021-22 season, and have been looking into making a move for Mitchell ever since it was announced the Utah Jazz were looking to trade him earlier this offseason.
Talks reached a stalemate between the two sides, though, as the Knicks have been worried about giving up too much to get Mitchell. The two sides have never fully left the negotiating table, and talks have reportedly picked up again. There were some new details that emerged yesterday afternoon that could have a huge impact on the Mitchell trade sweepstakes.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau would reportedly rather give up RJ Barrett in a trade for Mitchell than Quentin Grimes, which has become a sticking point for both sides. Neither side seems eager to hand Barrett a long-term contract given his inconsistencies throughout the start of his career.
Tom Thibodeau's stance on Barrett and Grimes was quite shocking. Barrett took on a bigger role in the Knicks offense, and averaged 20 points per game. Grimes was a bench player for most of the season, but he looks like he could become a solid three-and-d player later on down the line in his career.
If New York wants to win now, it would make a lot of sense for them to include Grimes over Barrett in this deal. Barrett has been a bit inconsistent during the start of his career with the Knicks, but bringing on another offensive star in Mitchell would allow Thibodeau to reduce his role on offense. Barrett took a lot of shots last season because someone on New York was going to have to shoot the ball.
Grimes is still largely unproven. He looked good in Summer League action, and he shot better from behind the arc than Barrett last season. Grimes knows his role, whereas Barrett still appears to be figuring out how to fit into the Knicks offense.
The two main problems that Tom Thibodeau seems to have with Barrett are his efficiency and his defense. Barrett shot just 40.8 percent from the field last season, and found himself getting picked on a lot defensively. Grimes, on the other hand, held up well on defense and profiled primarily as a catch and shoot option on offense.
Grimes could be a solid role player for the Knicks in the future, but Barrett gives New York a better shot of winning this season, even if his fit would become a bit less natural with the addition of Mitchell. Tom Thibodeau's stance on Barrett amid these trade talks is certainly interesting, and it will be interesting to see if he can manage to pull off a deal for Mitchell that would result in Barrett going the other way.
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