Report: Knicks Expected to Put Trade Package Together for Donovan Mitchell
As the big “Woj bomb” dropped on the Donovan Mitchell drama on Tuesday, social media scrambled to figure out which teams have the assets that could satisfy the Utah Jazz if a trade were to take place.
The Miami Heat seems to come up frequently in the Twitter threads. Boasting a big three of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Mitchell could put them over the top.
The problem is Miami lacks the draft capital that’s going to be needed to have a real chance at Mitchell. Tyler Hero and some first-round picks that will be in the 20s won’t even start a conversation with Jazz executive Danny Ainge. The Heat could bring a third team in, but it’s still a long shot.
Then there are the crazy Twitter theories advocating a Kevin Durant for Mitchell exchange. If the Jazz do trade Mitchell, we’re talking a full-blown rebuild, and getting a 34-year-old diva back is the last thing the Jazz would want.
If a trade were to take place, the Jazz need draft compensation coming back that has a shot to put them in future draft lotteries. Any team trading for Mitchell would have to feel confident that he could be re-signed in 2025-26.
Enter the New York Knicks.
Tony Jones of The Athletic tweeted this on Tuesday.
“Expect the New York Knicks to put together a package for Donovan Mitchell according to league sources. Utah’s bar for Mitchell is sky high. But the Knicks are the team that have the assets to make this a conversation," Jones wrote.
The Knicks have potentially four first-round picks in 2023. The problem is the only unprotected pick is their own.
Are the Knicks a playoff team by adding Mitchell, while at the same time losing two players in their current rotation? The Knicks losing RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish in an trade would feel like a big blow, even with the addition of Mitchell.
Also, are the Jazz better served by waiting to trade Mitchell, so they could get a better idea of where the future picks could be located? The Jazz did land four future first-rounders in the Rudy Gobert trade, but we have no idea where those picks will be taken.
These are the questions the Jazz front office will be asking itself before making a move.
But if there is a team that has the draft capital needed to get a deal done, paired with the potential of being in future draft lotteries, it’s the New York Knicks.
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.
