Knicks should avoid giving up Quentin Grimes in a Donovan Mitchell trade
With the New York Knicks being linked to Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell in trade rumors for the last couple of weeks, the Knicks should keep shooting guard Quentin Grimes off the table in trade talks.
Because the Jazz traded three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert for four first-round picks, the price to get Mitchell in New York is going to be astronomically high. Currently, Utah reportedly has an interest in acquiring Grimes (subscription required) after his performance at Summer League.
Grimes shined at Summer League, averaging 22.6 points, 3.4 3-pointers made, 4.2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.1 minutes. Since he performed at such a high level, his trade value is up with the potential of him possibly being a building block on a team that seems like it’s headed in the direction of a rebuild.
The Knicks should do their best to keep Quentin Grimes in a possible Donovan Mitchell trade
Despite how hungry the Knicks are for the superstar, the 22-year-old is too valuable to give up for Mitchell. His potential is too high to pass up on because he has showcased the ability to be productive with and without the ball, which is very valuable in today’s NBA.
In addition to that, Grimes is a quality defender coming from a Houston program where head coach Kelvin Sampson preaches a defensive mindset.
New York needs to start to believe that he can be part of the nucleus of the team that includes RJ Barrett and free-agent addition Jalen Brunson. However, what separates Grimes from these players is his ability to thrive on the defensive end and guard positions one through five.
What Grimes showed entering his second year in the Summer League is that he impacts winning because the Knicks outscored their first three opponents by 39 points when he was on the court.
Grimes has the ability to transform into a good player on a solid team because of his versatility which includes being an effective 3-point shooter along with being productive off the ball. He’s a solid defender who can guard the opposing team’s lead offensive player and has the ability to create his own shot and he can create open shots for his teammates as well.
While dealing with a nagging knee injury for a portion of the season, Grimes averaged 6 points in 46 games and shot 40.4% from the field, including 38.1% from three.
No other draft pick the Knicks have had in recent years has shown the potential to be a solid all-around player like Grimes. The team should have the confidence that Grimes can be a key piece moving forward in the franchise.
If the Knicks are that hungry to get Mitchell in New York, the package they could put together to acquire him would likely consist of their four 2023 first-round picks (three of them they acquired from the Washington Wizards, the Detroit Pistons, and the Dallas Mavericks), their 2024 first-round pick, their 2025 first-round pick, their 2026 first-round pick, their 2027 first-round pick, Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, Cam Reddish, and Miles McBride.
That is what it’s going to take to convince Danny Ainge to engage in a possible deal after the number of assets that he got for Gobert. New York’s going to have to give up some of its young talent to convince Ainge to accept the deal.
Providing the Jazz with more picks in the deal would allow the Knicks to keep Grimes’ name off the table. It’s important for the Knicks to allow their players to develop via the draft instead of giving up all of their assets for Mitchell, who is not in the category of leading his team to a championship.
