Knicks, Jazz reportedly still talking Mitchell trade despite Utah’s sky-high ask

The Utah Jazz and New York Knicks are talking Donovan Mitchell trade again.

That doesn’t mean the sides are anywhere near a deal.

The renewed talks were confirmed by Marc Berman of the New York Post, but with a few new drops of information (both sides are playing the leaking game, trying to spin for fans). First, the Knicks recoiled at the initial ask from Utah’s Danny Ainge — and with good reason. From the Knicks perspective, they want to get Mitchell but want the flexibility to make more moves after they get him.

According to multiple industry sources, the Knicks were turned off by Utah team president Danny Ainge’s initial demands, when he asked in July for a package of seven first-round picks and players. Talks died, but recently there has been renewed back-and-forth…

Giving up all their eligible first-round picks, however, would leave the Knicks in a place that would prevent them — perhaps for years — from making another significant trade in order to take the next step…

“Getting from 47 wins to 57 wins, that’s harder than 37 to 47,’’ a coaching source said.

The Knicks were 37-45 last season. The Knicks believe a Mitchell and Jalen Brunson backcourt with most of their core — Julius Randle, Derrick Rose, etc. — would make them a top-six team in the East, according to the report. Maybe that’s true. The Celtics, Bucks, 76ers and Heat are a clear top four — on a different tier than everyone else — but after that the Knicks could be in the mix with Toronto, Atlanta, Cleveland and Chicago for those final two spots to avoid the play-in.

The question is what the trade package for Mitchell looks like. Utah wants a bigger haul than they got for Rudy Gobert — that was four first-round picks plus Walker Kessler, this year’s No.