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As FTW’s resident New York Knicks fan, I will tell anyone who will listen that the franchise CANNOT trade budding star RJ Barrett for Donovan Mitchell.
Seriously! I literally wrote that very thing back in July. Mitchell can be a game-changer by coming to his native New York, a star scorer on a team that could really use it in the backcourt.
But at the cost of a young player who keeps getting better every year, who the Knicks could continue to develop at a pretty good cost? NOPE.
That brings us to the news that popped up Monday night: Barrett is “finalizing” a rookie extension with the Knicks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and although that doesn’t mean the Mitchell talks are dead, it “complicates” them.
To which I say: FANTASTIC! A reminder: This would be the first Knicks pick in 23 [BLEEPIN] YEARS TO SIGN AN EXTENSION!
There was a possibility that Barrett’s name could have been thrown around more in Mitchell trade rumors, and if the deal fell through, the Knicks might have a very unhappy Barrett on their hands. That would have been an extremely Knicks thing (see: Porzingis, Kristaps, although it was a different situation, he was disgruntled before he got dealt) to happen.
But in this case? The Knicks spelled it out for their home-grown star and drew a line in the sand. They wanted to keep him in the franchise and show how important he was to their future.
They left zero doubts about that and their message to the Jazz is “no way” on Barrett. Look at this much-laughed-at franchise I’ve rooted for! They’re growing! And they may still end up with Mitchell, even if it means they’re going to deal, like, seven first-rounders.
But they didn’t play around when it came to a young cornerstone. And that’s perfect.
Bravo!
Quick hits: Serena Williams wins! … What we learned from Week 3 of the NFL preseason … another silly pitch … and more.
— Serena Williams won her first-round match at her final U.S. Open and it was awesome. Her daughter and the all-time great wore matching outfits, so many celebs — including Dr. Ruth and Bill Clinton — watched, and fans surprised her with a heartwarming arena card celebration.
— Here’s what we learned from Week 3 of the NFL preseason.
— Yankees hurler Greg Weissert threw a ridiculous slider that you’ve got to see.