Getty Donovan Mitchell, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have enjoyed a reasonably successful start to the off-season, landing top-target Jalen Brunson and re-signing Mitchell Robinson to a multi-year deal.
However, it would seem that certain sections of the fanbase are still expecting further deals to be made, with a trade for Donovan Mitchell atop of their list. In fact, according to Jay Williams on a July 5 episode of Keyshawn, JWill, and Max, the Knicks front office’s jobs might be on the line if they fail to land the star scorer this off-season.
“I truly believe that the Knicks have to go out and get Donovan Mitchell. I believe Leon Rose and William Wesley, their jobs are on the line with making a move. They’ve compiled the assets. The fanbase has been patient. They made a run, they dropped off that run when they gave Julius Randle that deal. People were questioning whether he deserved that type of money,” Williams told stand-in co-host, Freddie Coleman.
Mitchell’s position with the Utah Jazz has come under scrutiny in recent days following Rudy Gobert’s trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s clear Utah is hitting the reset button and are entering a rebuild, and while Mitchell is young enough to be the core piece of said rebuild, it’s looking increasingly likely he won’t be in Utah much longer.
Mitchell Willing to Stand Pat
Despite his name being floated in numerous trade proposals, Mitchell is currently willing to stand pat, and see how the situation plays out, according to ESPN’S Brian Windhorst.
“After the Rudy Gobert trade, there was some belief that Mitchell would be next, and maybe at some point, he will be. But for now, the Jazz are telling people they don’t intend to trade him. On Mitchell’s side, he’s going to stand pat. He’s not going to force any action right now,” Windhorst said on a July 7 episode of Get Up.
Mitchell has been on an impressive upwards trajectory since entering the NBA, and this past season averaged 25.9 points, 5.3 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 35.5% from the perimeter and 44.8% from the field.
Mitchell Could Entice Further Stars
When speaking on a July 7 episode of the Knicks Film School Podcast, ESPN analyst Zach Lowe discussed the reasoning behind why New York should be willing to push their chips all-in on a potential Mitchell trade – assuming the Jazz make him available in the coming months.
“I think the ‘what are we left with’ question, is much less urgent for a team trading for Donovan Mitchell than it is for a team trading for Kevin Durant. Because Mitchell is young enough that if you don’t have a championship window in years one and two, it’s not that big of a deal. Because you can look at Mitchell as the carrot to get the next guy…As time passes, a year from now, there’s going to be a new disgruntled star, the players who just signed their supermax extensions become trade eligible, and something goes haywire with one of them, there are always new people. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Donovan Mitchell, but I don’t really buy the ‘we’re retooling around him’ line that’s coming out of Utah,” Lowe told Jonathan Macri during the interview.
The Knicks are in a favorable position should they choose to eventually enter trade discussions for a disgruntled star – be that Mitchell or anybody else. Right now, the Knicks boast numerous talented young players and have players on tradeable contracts to match salary.
However, a player needs to be made available for trade before any of this matters, but after spending so long amassing the necessary ammunition, the Knicks have to be sure they get their next big move right. Otherwise, Jay Williams could be right, and we might see James Dolan looking for a new front office team again.