The Knicks appear to be all-in on their pursuit of Donovan Mitchell.
New York has emerged as the "focused destination" for the Utah star, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Tony Jones, as the Knicks and Jazz have "discussed a deal framework." This news comes less than 48 hours after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski initially reported that the Jazz were willing to listen to trade offers for Mitchell.
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The Knicks' interest in Mitchell isn't much of a surprise. They have long been connected to the 25-year-old, as Mitchell is a New York native and represented by CAA, an agency which was once led by Knicks president Leon Rose.
Both teams have reason to be interested in reaching an agreement. Acquiring Mitchell would give New York the kind of star power it has desperately craved for years. Utah would bring back multiple future picks and prospects, adding to the Jazz's growing list of assets following the Rudy Gobert trade.
However, there are still hurdles to clear in trade negotiations. Utah's asking price is understandably steep considering Mitchell is is under contract through at least the 2024-25 season, and the Knicks are concerned about "giving away the proverbial store" to the Jazz, per Charania and Jones.
Donovan Mitchell trade rumors: What could Knicks send to Jazz?
As The Sporting News' Gilbert McGregor recently outlined, the Knicks don't have an All-Star headliner that they could include in a Mitchell trade package, but they do have intriguing young talent on their roster. New York could also throw in veteran salaries in order to make the money work.
(Note: Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims are currently ineligible to be traded.)
| Player | 2022-23 Salary |
| Julius Randle | $23.8 million |
| Evan Fournier | $18.0 million |
| Derrick Rose | $14.5 million |
| RJ Barrett | $10.9 million |
| Cam Reddish | $5.9 million |
| Obi Toppin | $5.4 million |
| Immanuel Quickley | $2.3 million |
| Quentin Grimes | $2.3 million |
| Miles McBride | $1.6 million |
Additionally, New York can throw several future first-round picks into a Mitchell deal. The Knicks have four of their own first-rounders and four from other teams at their disposal.
The Jazz have set a high bar for a Mitchell trade, so they will be asking for anything and everything from the Knicks. The big question: How much is New York willing to give up?
