Knicks Miss on Donovan Mitchell as Jazz and Cavaliers Make Deal

How does the trade of Donovan Mitchell affect the Jazz and Cavaliers, as well as the Knicks?

On Thursday afternoon, Donovan Mitchell was officially traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Him being moved by the Utah Jazz before the start of the season was widely expected, but not to the Cavs. 

In what was a blockbuster move, the Jazz acquired Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps in the deal for Mitchell.

All throughout the summer, the expectation was that the New York Knicks were the team best positioned to acquire the young star. While New York continued to get close to a deal, discussing what terms would look like even earlier this week, it just didn't happen. It was ultimately Cleveland that offered a package that Utah was willing to accept. 

While this trade obviously impacts the future of both the Cavaliers and Jazz, it also could change the trajectory of the Knicks. During the 2023 NBA Draft, they traded their No. 11 overall selection to the Oklahoma City Thunder for three heavily-protected first rounders, likely to use in a potential Mitchell deal.

There will be other deals to use those picks on in the future, but now New York will enter the 2022-23 season as a non-contender. The Knicks acquired Jalen Brunson in free agency and extended RJ Barrett earlier this week, but they don't project to be a real threat in the Eastern Conference. Especially with the Cavaliers in the East, the Knicks look even more like a lower-end playoff team.

It will be interesting to see what the Knicks do from here, but missing out on Mitchell could end up being something that sets them back. Additionally, the longer they wait to use their picks to acquire a high-end talent, the more likely it is that the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and even the Jazz are closer to completing their respective rebuilds and start unloading their draft capital. 

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