The Knicks have long coveted Donovan Mitchell, a three-time NBA All-Star and local product born and raised in Elmsford, New York. Many took Mitchell’s cryptic remarks after losing to the Mavericks in this year’s playoffs to mean he wants out of Utah, with New York—desperate for a franchise cornerstone after whiffing on past free-agent targets Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard—floated as a potential landing spot.
However, that outcome is considered “very unlikely,” according to intel gathered by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Even if Mitchell preferred his hometown Knicks over other suitors, New York may not have the assets to match offers from teams like the Heat, who could build an enticing trade package centered around Tyler Herro, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year and Miami’s second-leading scorer this past season (20.7 points per game). Mitchell's contract, which pays $97.8 million over his next three seasons (that doesn’t include a $37.1-million player option for 2025-26), is also an obstacle in pursuing the 25-year-old.
Jalen Brunson (21.6 points per game this postseason) could be viewed as a fallback for New York, though owner Mark Cuban has made clear Dallas plans to retain him in free agency. That doesn’t leave the Knicks with many options. Other trade possibilities for the Knicks include Cleveland guard Collin Sexton, who missed much of last season with a torn meniscus, and former All-Star D’Angelo Russell.
Though he’s coming off a disastrous postseason (12.0 points per game on anemic 33.3-percent shooting), Russell is a prodigious scorer when healthy (17.7 points per game for his career) and was named an All-Star as recently as 2019. As Fischer points out, Gersson Rosas, who the Knicks recently brought aboard as a senior basketball advisor, traded for Russell when he was the Timberwolves’ GM in 2020.
The draft lottery did the Knicks no favors, with Purdue’s Jaden Ivey—perhaps the most sought-after guard in this year’s class—all but certain of going in the top 10 (New York picks 11th). To be competitive in a deep Eastern Conference, the Knicks, coming off a forgettable 37-45 season, will likely require a roster overhaul. That means President of Basketball Operations Leon Rose will have his work cut out for him this summer, trying to revive a long-dormant franchise that, outside of a rare playoff appearance in 2021, has not been remotely relevant in recent years.
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