Donovan Mitchell headed to Cavaliers in trade, reports say
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz in action during the second half of Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 28, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Credit: Getty Images
Just days after the Knicks essentially removed RJ Barrett from any potential trade package for Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz pivoted and dealt the three-time All-Star to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Jazz are reportedly sending Mitchell to Cleveland for a package that includes guard Collin Sexton, who will receive a four-year, $72 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade, forward Lauri Markkanen, first-round pick Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 and two pick swaps.
The Knicks had been the leading suitor for Mitchell throughout the process as the Jazz and team president Danny Ainge made it clear that they were willing to part with their star guard, possessing the sort of assets that the Jazz were seeking in their rebuilding plans with 11 first-round picks over the next seven drafts. But Knicks president Leon Rose drew the line as Ainge’s demands remained steep.
The Knicks were willing to put Barrett on the table in a deal until Monday night when a deadline to include him passed and the Knicks signed him to a four-year rookie contract extension worth up to $120 million. The Knicks officially announced the Barrett extension moments after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story on the Mitchell trade. The hope was that with Barrett, the Knicks' best young player at just 22 years old, in the deal the demand for other assets would not be so onerous and, according to a league source, the last package the Knicks put on the table included Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks as well as Immanuel Quickley and possibly another young player such as Miles McBride.
With Barrett removed from the equation — although he could have been in a deal in a more complicated form — the Knicks were back to square one. The Jazz engaged the Cavs again and Cleveland was willing to do what the Knicks would not: surrender three unprotected first-round picks. Cleveland gave up the picks, but the players were not exactly vital parts to their rapidly improving team — Sexton sat out all but 11 games last season with a torn meniscus, Markannen moved to his third team and Agbaji was the No. 14 overall pick in the most recent draft.
The Knicks made their free-agent splash this summer by signing Jalen Brunson and pairing Mitchell with him would have given the Knicks a pair of 6-1 guards in a league increasingly built on long, versatile, multi-positional players.
The request for a reported four unprotected first-round picks would have limited their next moves, and it’s likely that they would have needed another move to contend in an improved Eastern Conference.
The Knicks still hold all their moveable assets now, but the question is where can they utilize them with Mitchell off the market? The name that sometimes arises is Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who signed a rookie max extension worth $172 million, but the franchise remains on a youth movement, accumulating picks and young, cheap talent. The Knicks can turn to teams that were willing to engage the Jazz or even the teams that were in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes and see if their assets are still available.
But the Knicks also need to show improvement to secure the jobs of this regime, now entering its third season and coming off a disappointing 37-45 season.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
