SUMMARY
- The New York Knicks are interested in making a trade for Donovan Mitchell.
- Mitchell is under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers until 2026.
Is a trade for Donovan Mitchell by the New York Knicks out of the question? As most basketball fans should be aware, Mitchell is an NBA star currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Donovan was traded to the Cavs at the start of last season and helped the team establish themselves once again as playoff contenders.
Although it has been less than 2 years since Donovan Mitchell joined the Cavaliers, rumors surrounding a potential trade have already begun circulating and gaining steady momentum. While there are several teams likely interested in acquiring Spida, the Knicks appear to be the frontrunners. That said, a closer look at the situation is required.
Do the Knicks have what it takes to acquire Donovan Mitchell from the Cavaliers?
At the moment, Donovan Mitchell still has 2 years remaining on his current contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Therefore, he will become a free agent after the 2025-2026 NBA season. While one would assume that Mitchell will play out his contract with the Cavs before looking to join another team, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report opined that an early exit and potential departure to the Knicks shouldn’t be completely dismissed.
“Mitchell may not be thinking about a blue-and-orange tinted future at the moment, but maybe that changes if the Cavs suffer an early playoff exit again…If he isn’t fully sold on Cleveland’s future, he could make things awfully uncomfortable for the franchise, since he can reach free agency as soon as 2025.”
Donovan Mitchell always welcomed in NYC to play for the Knicks 👀
— NYCDaFuture (@NYCDaFuture_) March 30, 2024
Buckley continued, “If he requested a trade, the Knicks would surely come calling, and the Cavaliers would have to at least entertain those talks. It might take something like three first-round picks, pick swaps, and more to get him.”
Since Mitchell is one of the top stars in the league, fans can claim that he is worth a lot more than a few draft picks and swaps. However, all of this is under the assumption that the Cavaliers are willing to move on from him.
The Cleveland Cavaliers remain convinced that Mitchell will remain with them
During the most recent postseason, Mitchell and the Cavs ended up losing in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs to the New York Knicks. After getting Jalen Brunson, the Knicks appear to be legitimate contenders and are expected to make a deep playoff push this season as well.
In the event that the Cavs are unable to do better this season, they might just end up deciding to move on from Mitchell. However, reports indicate that the Cavaliers and Mitchell will have a long-lasting union. This indicates that he will play his contract out and sign a new deal within the next few years.
Donovan Mitchell staying with the Cavs has always made sense.
Knicks disrespected him not including Grimes in the 2022 deal. And in terms of basketball…
-Cavs treat him like a #1, NY wouldn’t
-🕷️became an MVP candidate here
-Cavs young core gives him a longer title window— Nikki Goel (@Mr_NikkiG) March 28, 2024
Time will tell if the Knicks are able to convince the Cavs to part from Mitchell. New York might be willing to give up a lot in order to pair him up with Jalen Brunson. After all, doing so will drastically improve their chances of winning an NBA championship in the near future.