Does Quin Snyder's Departure Help or Hurt Knicks With Donovan Mitchell?
Does a major move involving the Utah Jazz have the New York Knicks singing the blues?
Hours before Game 2 of the NBA Finals tipped off in San Francisco, fans of the 28 franchises that fell before Boston and Golden State were granted an intriguing offseason morsel in the form of Quin Snyder's resignation from his post as head coach of the Jazz.
Snyder was the fourth-longest tenured coach in the Association at eight seasons and adds another path to an offseason of crossroads for Utah. The Jazz (49-33) are coming off their third first-round exit in the last four years and have not reached the conference final round despite six consecutive playoff bracket visits under Snyder's watch.
The main question around Snyder's departure becomes what happens to Utah star Donovan Mitchell, who would be the star attraction of a potential fire sale if the Jazz embraced a rebuild. Needless to say, the Knicks have watched the 25-year-old New York native's career with great interest, especially when the rumors around a potential departure intensified.
New York showing interest in a superstar on the market is nothing new, but the idea of Mitchell in blue and orange has gained traction from several sources...including Mitchell himself. Thus, even a mere ripple in Salt Lake City will create aftershocks in New York rife with deciphering the meaning behind it. A move like Snyder leaving is a disturbance that will leave tremors across the basketball landscape.
So how does it affect the Knicks?
Any discussions about Mitchell coming home should be prefaced by the disclaimer that such a deal is not apparent or imminent, despite some high-profile attempts to procure his services.
However, early reports from ESPN seem to hint that Mitchell has been left "unsettled (and) unnerved" about Snyder's departure. The same break hints that Mitchell will take a few days of reflection to pinpoint the trajectory of the franchise before moving forward.
The Knicks' case for Mitchell may be flawed as-is: Mitchell himself likely wouldn't reject such a cause, but he has made no secrets about his desires to play for a true contender...a contender well stocked with both assets and promise. If Utah is ready to embrace a full-on rebuild, the Knicks might have to sell their soul and bite an RJ Barrett-sized bullet.
Having said that, the Knicks could use some form of good news...and Snyder's departure should only help their case to land Mitchell, if only because it has apparently contributed to his Salt Lake City alienation.
If the Jazz want to cling to whatever brand of contention they have, they can spin the move as a selling point in the sense that Mitchell can gain more creative control.
But player-run monarchies often produce disappointing results (look no further than the meandering Los Angeles Lakers under LeBron James) and there's no more awkward feeling, especially in the NBA than getting trapped in the unforgiving hard place between contention and the lottery (the Brooklyn Nets nearly found that out the hard way this year).
Utah could thus feel like a clean break could allow them to control their own narrative rather than centering its entire future around one man.
Until Mitchell's future is spoken for, the idea of a Knicks jersey will always linger. The team has taken some hard hits in recent times, but basketball schadenfreude over the Jazz going out of tune is something they can take into the coming offseason, if only for a short while.
