Getty Donovan Mitchell is now a member of the Cavs.
The New York Knicks took on the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 30, and it was the first time the two sides matched up after the Donovan Mitchell trade.
Mitchell was long linked to the Knicks in a deal that would’ve landed New York a true star, and perhaps shaped the future of the team in a way that hasn’t been seen since Carmelo Anthony was in town.
For a variety of reasons, both known and unknown, the trade never happened and the Utah Jazz shipped Mitchell to the Cavs. Since joining Cleveland, Mitchell is having arguably the best season of his career through six games.
Through these games, he’s averaging 32.2 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. All of these stats would be a career high if it keeps up, showing that he was acquired for a relative bargain.
After the game, Mitchell was asked whether he thinks the Knicks would like to go back and redo the trade.
Mitchell Quiets Knicks Talk
Donovan Mitchell was asked if he thinks the #knicks want a do-over: “You gotta ask them. Like I said, I’m happy to be here. It’s over with.”
Mitchell has talked about how he thought he’d end up on the Knicks, and the trade to the Cavs came as a surprise.
However, he doesn’t want to go back in time.
“You gotta ask them,” he said when asked about the Knicks wanting the chance to trade for him again. “Like I said, I’m happy to be here. It’s over with.”
To give credit to the Knicks, they have surprised a lot of people out of the gate after getting off to a 3-3 start. Jalen Brunson has looked very solid, but getting this version of Donovan Mitchell alongside him is a reality Knicks fans will never get to see come true.
Mitchell did get the first laugh of the season as the Cavs toppled the Knicks, even overcoming a deficit entering the fourth quarter. Acquiring Mitchell firmly put the Cavs into the upper echelon in the Eastern Conference while the Knicks are left fighting for a playoff spot.
Knicks Moving On
If you ask the Knicks about getting a redo in the trade, you’ll likely hear them say the same thing, mostly because it’s not worth rehashing something that’s done and over with.
Brunson has looked the best he’s ever looked since putting on a Knicks jersey, and it has allowed other players to reap the rewards. Cam Reddish has looked with Brunson in town, Julius Randle looks reinvigorated again, and RJ Barrett will likely flourish alongside him.
There’s no telling how the team would’ve fared with Mitchell as Brunson’s backcourt, but many Knicks fans are happy with what they have.
The 3-3 start puts the team right around expectations they had coming into the season. The Knicks were never expected to be much more than a .500 team, and that’s why they are looked at as a play-in team. The Eastern Conference is very deep this season, and that’s giving the Knicks an uphill battle ahead of them.
If Randle’s and Brunson’s strong start continues, and if RJ Barrett is able to find a way to increase his efficiency a bit after the rough start, the Knicks could make some noise this year.
Barrett did say the Knicks would shock the world, but it’s hard to imagine a .500 team pulling that off.