3 Big Mistakes that Cost Knicks in Donovan Mitchell Talks with Jazz

It will take some time before we can decipher who came out ahead in the Donovan Mitchell trade between the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, but there’s one fact that isn’t up for debate: New York Knicks executive Leon Rose dropped the ball on a golden opportunity to acquire a ‘face of the franchise’ talent.

The Knicks front office made three tectonic mistakes in what should have been a lay-up acquisition. Here's where New York went wrong.

1. Scouting Players Still Under Contract

The blunders started back in April when it was reported that Knicks executives attended the Jazz-Mavericks playoff game. NBA insider Marc Stein tweeted about the sighting.

“Just walked away from a pregame TV visit with Jalen Brunson and walked right into a good bit of the Knicks' braintrust: William Wesley and Allan Houston are here for Jazz at Mavs," Stein tweeted. "To scout Brunson? To scout Donovan Mitchell? Just to enjoy the very first first-round playoff game?”

Now, we don’t know exactly why the Knicks brass attended the game, but to have the audacity to show up knowing about the rumors swirling around a player that was still under team control for three years is disrespectful.

It was no secret to the Jazz front office that Mitchell’s desire to leave Utah was on the fence, at best, and the Knicks front office coming in like vultures circling the wagon was bad for business. Was there disingenuous intent on New York’s part?

Either way, it shows a lack of awareness of the possible consequences that lay ahead.

2. Taking Other Bidders for Granted

The Knicks never came in with an offer the Jazz couldn’t refuse. The Knicks felt like they were in the driver's seat throughout this whole process, and could afford to be patient because a.) they had the means to trump any offer and b.) Mitchell’s desire to play in New York could take teams out of the bidding because of his unrestricted free-agent status in 2025.

The Cavaliers were considered an afterthought, but in hindsight, this team was only one player away from being a championship contender. The LeBron James re-signing in Los Angeles closed the door on a Cavalier reunion but opened up a golden opportunity to take advantage of the Knicks' nickel and diming Utah’s demands.

Situations change at a moment's notice in the NBA, and the Cavs became a legitimate threat overnight. The Knicks gave the Cavs time to get a clearer picture of their situation, which put them in a position to match or exceed the Knicks' best offer.

3. Re-signing RJ Barrett to an Extension

The Jazz were interested in Barrett being a part of a Mitchell deal the whole time. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski went on the record in his podcast on the matter.

The Utah Jazz ‘greatly valued’ RJ Barrett as part of any Donovan Mitchell deal, per Woj

“A deal without [RJ Barrett] would require the Knicks to relinquish far more draft assets than they've shown a willingness to do, sources said.” pic.twitter.com/cplZErDLmQ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 30, 2022

The re-signing of Barrett all but took him out of the equation, but also felt like a message was being sent to Utah. The Knicks' notion that they were still in control even without Barrett in the picture was condescending and cocky.

The Jazz acted accordingly, and it’s rumored that Utah didn’t even give the Knicks a chance to match or exceed what the Cavs put on the table.

The Knicks could write a book on how not to obtain an All-Star talent, and when the rubber met the road, Rose’s ego got in his own way.

The Knicks front office was hell-bent on making sure it wasn't sacrificing the haul that the Minnesota Timberwolves did in the Rudy Gobert trade, and it'll now be watching from the sidelines as the Cavs and Timberwolves make a run at a championship for the next three years.

Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.

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