New Tune? Knicks, Jazz Have ‘Fresh’ Donovan Mitchell Trade Talks
A new tune might be emerging in Salt Lake City.
Per Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic, the New York Knicks and Utah Jazz had "a fresh trade conversation" regarding the future of the latter's All-Star Donovan Mitchell. Despite the retune, the report stresses that "no Mitchell trade in imminent" and even introduces two potential newcomers to the fold: the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards.
The Knicks have done little to hide their interest in Mitchell but have reportedly been reluctant to give in to Utah's supposed demands for young, veteran talents, namely Las Vegas Summer League standout Quentin Grimes.
Mitchell's status as a New York native, as well as his frequent visits to Queens to support his beloved New York Mets have only intensified the rumors that he would join 2022 playoff opponent Jalen Brunson.
The former Dallas Maverick-turned-$104 million man in New York helped indirectly kickstart the Jazz's apparent desires to start from scratch (having bid farewell to head coach Quin Snyder and defensive standout Rudy Gobert through resignation and a trade respectively) with a dominant performance in the Western Conference Quarterfinal round.
Even if pressure rises on the sides to make a deal thanks to the approaching season, Utah holds a fair amount of leverage to keep Mitchell, as he's under contract in Salt Lake City for the next three seasons. Utah does remain interested in the Knicks' plethora of draft picks in addition to a young talent like Grimes or Obi Toppin.
In any case, the cogs in the Mitchell machine are turning once again. Whether it produces anything remains to be seen.
