It’s not a secret that the New York Knicks have kept tabs on Donovan Mitchell since his rookie year. He’s never hidden his love for New York City, and some expected him to force his way out of a small market like the Utah Jazz eventually.
Well, that time has finally come. While he didn’t request a trade, the Jazz came to realize that they need to hit the drawing board and start from scratch. They traded Rudy Gobert for a very valuable set of picks, and now plan to do the same with their younger star.
Mitchell has drawn league-wide interest, yet there’s just a handful of teams that could actually pull the trigger for him. Still, Brian Windhorst of ESPN claims that the feeling around the league is that he’s a lock to join the Knicks.
NBA Rumors: Mitchell To The Knicks Seems ‘Inevitable’
“Knicks have eight tradable first round picks and a need and a desire for a star player like Donovan Mitchell,” Windhorst said. “Some people believe this is an inevitability. I think we’re going to hear a lot about Mitchell and the New York Knicks in the coming days.”
Jazz Will Demand A ‘Historical PickHaul’ In Any Trade For Mitchell
But it’s not like the Jazz will just give him away. In a follow-up report, Windhorst revealed that they’re looking to get a ‘historical pick haul’ in return for the Louisville product, but that’s not expected to drive the Knicks away:
“What league executives are saying is that this is all going to be a maneuver to get the most [the Utah Jazz] possibly can out of the New York Knicks. They know the New York Knicks are the most desperate team,” Windhorst said.“They’re the ones in need of a star, and they have the most ammunition to trade… I do think he is good chance that Donovan Mitchell ends up on the Knicks at the end of all this… We’re going to see a historical pick haul.”
It’s been a while since the Knicks had a legit franchise player in their ranks, so it’s only natural to think they’d be desperate to get this deal done. Also, Mitchell’s ties to Leon Rose only make this deal more likely.