The New York Knicks may have a fight on their hands in their quest to acquire star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As Jordanna Clark of Daily Knicks shared, one NBA insider has intel on the Brooklyn Nets being potential players in a bid for Mitchell:
“Action Network’s Matt Moore reported that ‘everyone expects’ Mitchell to leave the Cavaliers in free agency if he’s still on their roster. Moore added there’s a ‘conflicting belief’ about whether or not the guard has told Cleveland his future plans,” Clark pointed out. “New York is considered the frontrunner for Mitchell if a trade happens, but Moore reported that if the Knicks can’t get a deal done, Brooklyn could swoop in.”
Knicks: Mitchell’s Ties to New York Could Lead Him Across the Bridge to the Nets
It’s no secret that Mitchell’s childhood ties to New York City make the Knicks an attractive franchise for the All-Star to entertain requesting a trade to. However, the Nets are always a secondary, and sometimes even primary, option for stars looking to relocate to the Big Apple.
The Nets were able to spoil the Knicks’ hopes when they brought in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019. Brooklyn has been very active in their recruitment efforts and would stand as good a chance as any other franchise to lure Mitchell away from a Knicks pairing.
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Do the Knicks Have as Many Attractive Tradeable Assets as the Nets to Pull Off Mitchell Deal?
The Knicks have a strong core of Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and RJ Barrett, holding them up as playoff threats in the Eastern Conference, but one of them would likely have to depart in any trade involving Mitchell.
Meanwhile, the Nets have an abundance of young talent at every position and an overabundance at the guard slots. Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons, and Spencer Dinwiddie all share time, leaving Nets general manager Sean Marks with a wealth of pieces to offer the Cavaliers.
The Knicks won’t be at rest until they have a roster configuration capable of contending for a championship and appeasing the demand in New York’s fan base and media. Mitchell is the one All-Star they have the best chance at acquiring. They’ll just have to make their trade package as enticing as possible to thwart off the Nets and all other competitors.