Knicks, Jazz 'Re-Engage' on Donovan Mitchell Trade Talks; Mavs Monitoring?
The NBA offseason has been mostly quiet for the last month and a half, but that could be changing as we get closer to the start of training camp in September.
According to 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 – who are currently being investigated by the league for tampering with Jalen Brunson in free agency – 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.
As Utah and New York continue to try to work out a deal, the Mavs will wait patiently to see if any opportunities to upgrade their roster open up from Mitchell being traded. The Jazz have a number of veteran players who could interest the Mavs, including: Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Patrick Beverley, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley.
Although many people agree the Mavs still improved marginally this summer despite the loss of Brunson, another move or two will need to be made in order to solidify their status as a title contender.
