New Tune For Donovan Mitchell? Knicks, Jazz ‘Start Trade Discussions’
The Utah Jazz are listening. The New York Knicks are ready to talk.
Per Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic, the two sides have "begun discussions" on a trade that would send Mitchell, the three-time All-Star, die-hard New York Mets fan, and Elmsford native, back home to the Empire State.
The Knicks are far from Mitchell's only suitor, but the team has "emerged as the focused destination" since Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Jazz were "listening to overtures" of a Mitchell trade. This would corroborate a report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst that claimed that Mitchell's New York arrival could be "inevitable".
Utah, having recently parted ways with Mitchell's fellow franchise face Rudy Gobert, is leaning toward a full-on rebuild and are thus likely attracted to the Knicks' plethora of draft picks amassed over recent weeks. New York is armed with seven potential first-round selections (depending on how protections play out) over the next three drafts.
If the Gobert trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves is used as a template (which netted the Jazz six first-round picks, including a swap in 2026, and the most recent No. 22 pick Walker Kessler), the Knicks would likely have to part ways with a good part of their draft capital, a gambit they're more than willing to engage in.
The Jazz's hunt ... as well as the Knicks' ability to financially afford a Mitchell transaction ... likely wouldn't stop with players to be named later. In addition to the picks, Utah got back a series of veterans in the Gobert trade, including Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley.
The Athletic's report claims that Utah has taken a liking to 2021 first-round pick Quentin Grimes, the leading scorer of their ongoing Summer League affairs in Las Vegas. While the Knicks' roster is packed with expendable names in the name of getting a superstar ... both in terms of young talent that can take center stage on a rebuilding squad (i.e. Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin) and expensive veterans (Evan Fournier, Julius Randle, Derrick Rose) ... the team is reportedly unwilling to part ways with homegrown fourth-year star RJ Barrett.
In addition to amassing a solid amount of trade ammunition, the Knicks also have a tantalizing connection to Mitchell that goes beyond his hometown: he is currently repped by CAA, an organization previously run by team president Leon Rose. Mitchell himself has only fueled speculation further with his extracurricular activities. He has been on hand at Citi Field to support the NL East-leading Mets and was also photographed wearing a hoodie bearing the colors and emblems of the WNBA's New York Liberty.
