Getty Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz dribbles during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 20, 2022 in New York City.
The New York Knicks are in the market for landing another star to pair alongside Jalen Brunson and it appears they have their sights set on Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell has long been a player linked to the Knicks, and with his ties to the area, it makes a lot of sense. His father works within the New York Mets organization, and he grew up in New York, so a homecoming would certainly be welcomed by fans.
The Utah Jazz appear open to considering deals for their star following the Rudy Gobert trade. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the team is no longer simply hanging up on teams calling about the guard.
After previously shutting down inquiries on moving All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, rival teams say the Utah Jazz are showing a willingness to listen on possible trade scenarios, sources tell ESPN.
An NBA executive speaking to Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney says a massive five-team deal could be what gets things started this offseason, and it’d result in the Knicks landing Mitchell.
5-Team Deal
With the Brooklyn Nets trying to move Kevin Durant, and presumably Kyrie Irving, a blockbuster deal is bound to happen at some point, so why not have it all happen at once?
“I think, however it shakes out exactly, you are going to see a mega-deal,” the exec told Deveney. “You know, earth-shattering, four maybe five teams and some big, big names. The Knicks are in a great position because they have picks coming in from Detroit and Washington, protected picks but they’re valuable. That is most likely, we’ll have to see, but most likely where Mitchell goes.”
The Knicks landed Brunson this offseason, and there was an expectation of sorts that they wouldn’t stop there and that they could land another star to pair with him. The player being targeted was going to be Dejounte Murray, but he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
This executive believes a Mitchell deal could work for the Knicks as it could possibly let them keep RJ Barrett.
“But you can tie that in with the Lakers getting Kyrie and Russell Westbrook going to Indiana, with Buddy Hield and Myles Turner heading out and the Pacers getting a first-rounder,” he said. “Send the Jazz back some bits from the Knicks and draft picks, plus the Lakers pick (in 2029). You can get four picks out of that, plus Evan Fournier, plus Obi Toppin and maybe Quickley. I don’t think Danny Ainge is going to want R.J. Barrett because he is in a contract year and do you want to walk into that?”
The Knicks would have to give up a lot of their young talent in Toppin and Quickley, but if it means landing Mitchell then it’s something they should consider.
“If the Jazz come away with the picks they want, they’re happy. If the Knicks get Mitchell, they’re happy. The Pacers dump Buddy and Turner and get back a pick and maybe a second-rounder too, they’re happy,” the exec continued. “The Lakers would be thrilled with, say, Kyrie and Buddy, that would be fun, wouldn’t it? The Nets can take in Horton-Tucker and Myles Turner and figure out whether to flip them or be competitive if they keep Durant.”
How Does It All Look?
Getty Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz.
It might be hard to keep track of all the moving parts, so here’s what it all looks like when laid out:
- Nets Receive: Myles Turner, Talen Horton Tucker, 2023 2nd-round pick (Bulls pick, through Lakers)
- Knicks Receive: Donovan Mitchell
- Lakers Receive: Kyrie Irving, Buddy Hield
- Pacers Receive: Russell Westbrook, 1st-round pick (Lakers 2027), 2nd round pick (Detroit 2024, through Knicks)
- Jazz Receive: Evan Fournier., Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, 1st-round picks (Detroit, 2023 protected, through Knicks; Washington, 2023 protected through Knicks; Knicks 2023 pick; Milwaukee 2025 pick, through Knicks, Lakers 2029 pick)
The Jazz get the Knicks young core along with a plethora of picks that would help jump start their rebuild. Kyrie Irving would land with the Lakers, making a reunion with LeBron James a reality.
This massive proposal doesn’t even involve Durant, and the executive says it’d get even bigger with him in the mix.
“That’s probably the kind of thing we’re going to be looking at here, and obviously it all could get bigger and more complicated with Durant if he gets involved,” he said.
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