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As the New York Knicks focus on the NBA playoffs, they’ll await tough decisions to make this offseason. The Knicks are finding success without Julius Randle, which could lead them to move him for a different star player to pair next to Jalen Brunson. In a proposed trade from Stephen Noh of The Sporting News, the Knicks would move Randle and three first-round picks for longtime target, Donovan Mitchell.
Knicks would get: Mitchell
Cavaliers would get: Randle, 2024 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
“The big allure here is draft picks and the ability for the Cavs to retool their roster to one that fits better. The Knicks have up to eight first-round picks to offer,” Noh wrote in his article exploring trades that could sway Mitchell from the Cavaliers. “They could send the Mavs’ No. 24 pick this year, along with unprotected picks in 2026 and 2028. If that isn’t enough, then the Knicks could continue to add picks until the Cavs have an offer too good to pass up.
“Mitchell and Jalen Brunson would instantly form a backcourt strong enough to challenge the Celtics as the best team in the Eastern Conference. New York would be stacked with some of the best role players in the league to put alongside those two offensive dynamos. The Knicks have been waiting patiently for a player like him to become available, and Mitchell has only gotten better since the last time they coveted him.”
Donovan Mitchell Denied Being Frustrated with Cleveland Cavaliers Teammates
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported that Mitchell became frustrated with teammates’ lack of maturity.
“He’s played his best basketball here,” Fedor wrote on May 16. “But sources say at times he grew frustrated with some teammates’ lack of maturity, focus, playoff-level readiness and a willingness to listen.”
Mitchell then responded on X, saying “I’m sick of yall sometimes!”
It’s uncertain what the future of Mitchell’s career looks like with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he didn’t agree with the report.
That could be something that plays a factor in him getting traded to the New York Knicks. For the Knicks, they’ll ultimately have to wait and see if the Cavaliers want to move him at any point in the offseason.
How Mitchell Would Fit With the Knicks and Jalen Brunson
If the New York Knicks do trade for Mitchell, the question would be how he fits with Brunson. The only concern with a pairing would be that they’re both on the smaller side and would be starting next to each other.
Brunson is 6-foot-2 and Mitchell stands at just 6-foot-3. That could become an issue on the defensive end, but offensively, the Knicks would have two of the best offensive guards in basketball.
The 27-year-old Mitchell, an All-NBA selection in 2022-23, is one of the best scorers in the game, averaging 26.6 points per game in 2023-24. During the 2022-23 season, Mitchell had the best scoring season of his career, averaging 28.3 points per game and shooting 38.6% from three-point range on 9.3 attempts per game.
While the fit could be interesting at first due to the size, head coach Tom Thibodeau has typically found ways for defenses to figure it out.
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