Donovan Mitchell Trade Rumors: Knicks Face New Rival?
The heat has been reportedly raised in the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes.
Per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Miami Heat may be conjuring up a deal that would bring the Utah Jazz All-Star to South Beach. Such a deal, said to include Tyler Herro and multiple draft picks, has helped render the fantasy of Mitchell returning home to the New York Knicks "highly unlikely".
The Knicks' hometown link with Mitchell, an Elmsford native potentially poised to move on after five seasons with the Jazz, has made him the subject of metropolitan offseason gossip. Any big-ticket arrival this offseason, however, would likely require the shedding of some pricey contracts, primarily ones that expire after next season (i.e. Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel).
None are as valuable as Miami's bargaining chip of Herro, the NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year. Fischer brings up the possibility of including Immanuel Quickley in a potential deal, as the soon-to-be third-year man is likely the most valuable trade piece from an on-court perspective on the Knicks roster. The Knicks would also likely have to part ways with their first-round pick in next month's draft, currently stationed in the 11th overall slot.
With the Heat constantly facing questions about their "star power" en route to a No. 1 seed and the Eastern Conference Finals (a visit that ended in seven-game heartbreak from the Boston Celtics), it would certainly serve as an attractive destination for Mitchell.
The Louisville alum has been mostly mum in terms of an ideal landing spot and some feel that New Yorkers, both current and potentially future, are trying to lure him back home. But he's likely looking for a place where he can immediately contend for a championship after several postseason heartbreaks in Salt Lake City (including a first-round exit earlier this month). Miami would undoubtedly serve as a place to do so, especially in an open Eastern Conference.
