The Donovan Mitchell saga came to an end when the Utah Jazz traded their star guard to the Cleveland Cavaliers, spurning the New York Knicks in the process.
It’s a bittersweet moment for Knicks fans as Mitchell would’ve been the star to build around in New York, but missing out on him means the team can hold onto their future draft picks, and they also get to keep the young core of RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin together.
There was an expectation the Knicks were eventually going to land Mitchell because they had the ability to overcome any offer another team made. As it turns out, Jazz general manager Justin Zanik says the Cavs had the best offer.
Cavs Offer Beat the Knicks
“It was the best offer… To get a good return, you have to give up something good as well. They certainly gave up a lot.”
Jazz GM Justin Zanik on taking the Cavs’ offer over the Knicks’ offer during the Donovan Mitchell trade negotiations
It’s clear the Knicks could’ve opened up the vault and offered all sorts of draft picks to pair with young assets, but they don’t seem to have done that.
“It was the best offer,” Zanik said. “I think for them, they saw an opportunity they had in their team to open up a window. With Donovan and the young group, I think they’re gonna be very good. To get a good return, you have to give up something good as well. They certainly gave up a lot. Meaningful for them, and it was a meaningful trade that we liked as well.”
The Jazz coveted pieces like RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes, but the Knicks never came forward with an offer that included both of them with a bunch of draft picks, so it forced the Jazz to choose between the two of them.
Instead of making a decision like that, the Jazz moved away from the Knicks entirely and accepted the offer from the Cavaliers. To be fair, the Jazz did land three unprotected picks along with Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen, so the haul is a decent one that will help Utah jumpstart a rebuild.
Where Do the Knicks Go Now?
The Knicks might’ve missed out on a star in Mitchell, but it’s not all bad. Signing Jalen Brunson is a big move for the franchise as it plugs a hole the team has had for quite a while now. There was really nowhere to go but up for the team after seeing Alec Burks play heavy minutes at the position.
There are still other names out there the Knicks can target, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Moving Julius Randle is also a possibility as he has sort of shifted out of his role as the leading man and might even be the third option going into the next year.
Randle can be deadly if that’s his role, but there are fans worried that he’s working on the wrong things this offseason as a video has gone viral that shows the big man still working on ball handling and his floaters.
The Knicks have unquestionably upgraded their roster this season, but will it be enough to get them back to the playoffs?
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Jazz GM Gives Blunt Answer on Why Donovan Mitchell Wasn’t Traded to Knicks