After depending on the star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert for several years, the Utah Jazz have finally decided to move on. Although the two stars are great players, they have failed to repeat that same level of success in the playoffs.
The Jazz have already shipped off Rudy Gobert in a blockbuster trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The next step is obviously to trade Donovan Mitchell as well. While Mitchell is a great player, he has not drawn much interest from other NBA franchises in the offseason.
The only exception remains the New York Knicks. Mitchell has been linked to the Knicks throughout the offseason, and the franchise has even made a few offers to trade for him.
But the Jazz have been adamant about getting another blockbuster trade package in return for Spida. Many thought the Knicks would ultimately give in to the Jazz’s request, but they did something unexpected.
They extended the contract of RJ Barrett. This is great news for the fans of the franchise as Barrett has become the first player who was a first-round pick drafted by the team to sign an extension since the year 1999. So it’s obvious that the Knicks highly rate him.
Despite that, NBA insider Marc Berman wrote in one of his recent reports that since there is no place for Mitchell as of now, there is a possibility that the Knicks can still trade for him.
Via New York Post:
That seems like a lot of poker going on, though, as the report stated they were closing in on a Mitchell trade. “There’s no place for Donovan to go right now,” a league source said. “The Knicks can still get him.”
To be honest, there is a lot of confusion surrounding Mitchell’s future. It seems obvious that the star does not want to stay with the Jazz due to the team clearly heading towards a rebuilding phase.
However, if he doesn’t get traded soon, he will be forced to start the season while donning the jersey of the Utah Jazz. Regardless, we will find out what the future holds for Mitchell in the coming days.