It’s buried in a Marc Berman piece about Damian Lillard, but clearly, when you get a Knick source to say, “In a Lillard trade, the Knicks don’t want to have their roster ransacked but likely are willing to give up three of their future first-round picks. RJ Barrett is not considered an untouchable in a deal for a superstar, according to a source” that is significant.
Not that anyone necessarily thought that Barrett was “untouchable,” but is is a whole other thing to tell a reporter that he is not untouchable. It’s the difference between Gwen Verdon knowing that Bob Fosse was likely going to fuck whatever young dancer he’s working with next and Bob Fosse telling Gwen Verdon, “this new dancer I’m working with is not untouchable.