New York Knicks should target Donovan Mitchell this offseason

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – FEBRUARY 07: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz reacts after a play during the first half of a game against the New York Knicks at Vivint Smart Home Arena on February 07, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has reportedly been unhappy with his place in Utah for a while now. He has voiced the desire to play in a bigger market. The Jazz are a good team but have not made much progress since Mitchell’s arrival in 2017.

He has been in pretty much the same place for all of his career and maybe he has achieved everything there is for him to achieve in Utah.

New York Knicks should target Donovan Mitchell this offseason

In addition, there are palpable tensions between him and Utah’s other star player, Rudy Gobert. The relationship between the team’s two cornerstones was already bad before the pandemic, but ever since Mitchell condemned Gobert’s reckless behavior after he tested positive for COVID-19, the rift has deepened.

Mitchell is in his first year of a five-year, $163 million contract extension, but he could still request a trade (and maybe get one). Even if it won’t happen this summer, it is very possible to happen in the future.

Enter the New York Knicks, who are looking for a star player trying to find a new home. Going after Mitchell could be risky for the Knicks and would be an expensive trade based on his stats and performances over the past seasons.

This year he is averaging 25.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists and was selected as an All-Star for the third time in his career. In his last playoff stretch, Mitchell averaged 32.3 points per game in ten games, making him a valuable asset throughout the whole season and especially when it matters the most.

One possible trade option would get the Knicks Donovan Mitchell and give the Utah Jazz Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, Cam Reddish, three first-round picks, and three second-round picks in return.

The Knicks are currently 27-38 and struggling. They are not playing well enough to expect a successful playoff appearance, but are also winning too many games to expect the opportunity to receive a top pick in the upcoming draft.

At the moment, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett are leading the team in scoring, and while Randle is putting up important and impressive numbers, the younger RJ Barrett may be the team’s best hope for the future.

Just this year, he has had six games with at least thirty points. Barrett is a wing player, but since Derrick Rose’s injury, the Knicks are lacking an experienced point guard, and Barrett has taken on some of the ball-handling duties himself.

By trading for Mitchell, the Knicks would be gaining a skilled guard and ball-handler, giving Barrett the opportunity to flourish at the wing position. They would build a young core to prepare the team for future developments and improvements.

Ian O’Connor of the New York Post believes that the Knicks’ problem is that they never keep any of their young draft picks around long enough to develop them to the point where they can attract star players. He stated that Barrett should be the one to change that and should survive any changes the Knicks need to make.

In addition to further developing Barrett’s skills, the acquisition of Mitchell would offer the Knicks the opportunity to do some necessary remodeling and put them into the championship conversation once again. So, even if this trade will not be possible in the immediate future, the New York Knicks are definitely keeping their eyes on the situation.