Knicks' release on Barrett contract came as Mitchell trade news broke

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Knicks released statement on RJ Barrett extension just as Donovan Mitchell trade news broke

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 9/1/22

The New York Knicks’ pursuit of Donovan Mitchell was ultimately unsuccessful, but they remain masters at comedic timing, if nothing else.

The Knicks’ summer-long pursuit of Mitchell officially ended in failure Thursday, as the Utah Jazz traded the guard to the Cleveland Cavaliers instead. That news broke on social media on Thursday afternoon, and it happened right as the Knicks made their own announcement.

The initial reports of the Mitchell trade perfectly coincided with the Knicks’ official announcement of forward RJ Barrett’s four-year, $120 million contract extension.

Leon Rose issues a statement via the team’s Twitter account to announce RJ Barrett’s extension.

Just as news of Donovan Mitchell’s trade to the Cavaliers hit pic.twitter.com/OONCdOxC2o

— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) September 1, 2022

Did the Knicks know the Mitchell news was coming and time it accordingly? That’s pretty unlikely. They may have been aware they struck out in their efforts to land Mitchell, but it’s tough to believe they had the Barrett announcement queued up for the exact same time as the initial reports would come out.

This is probably just salt in the wound for Knicks fans, regardless of whether Mitchell winds up being worth the cost or not. In reality, the Barrett extension probably significantly reduced the likelihood that the Knicks could get something done for Mitchell, especially since Cleveland was able to dangle guard Collin Sexton in trade talks with Utah.

Whatever the case, it looks like another PR loss for the Knicks. This could work out well for them from a basketball perspective, but this is an awkward look for them at the moment.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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