The Donovan Mitchell trade saga is finally over, although it didn’t end with the three-time All-Star on the New York Knicks. In a shocking turn of events, the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a trade for Mitchell on the first day of the month.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that the Cavaliers had acquired Mitchell in a trade, and at first it almost didn’t seem real. After all, it was just yesterday that Jake Fischer said that the belief was still that Mitchell would be traded to New York.
Less than a week ago, it was reported that Cleveland had entered the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes, but a day later, it was reported that the Cavaliers had taken themselves out of the race. In the end, it was Cleveland who ended up meeting Danny Ainge’s absurd demands to cross the finish line in first place.
Knicks fans, this may not be the news that you were hoping to see, but there’s actually a silver lining to this ordeal, and it’s what the Cavaliers gave up to get Mitchell.
Sources: The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks and two pick swaps to the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 1, 2022
The Jazz trade Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers over the Knicks in an unexpected turn of events
According to Woj, Cleveland and Utah re-engaged in trade talks on Tuesday after RJ Barrett finalized an extension with New York on Monday night.
Cleveland GM Koby Altman circled back to Utah GM Justin Zanik on Tuesday and the two teams re-assembled a deal they had been discussing in previous weeks, sources tell ESPN. New York declined to do a trade a deal on Monday night, opening the door for Cleveland to secure a deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022
Danny Ainge wasn’t able to get what he was asking for from the Knicks, but he got it from the Cavaliers. New York made the right decision to extend Barrett, and it was reported by Tony Jones of The Athletic (subscription required) that the Jazz valued Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Obi Toppin in a deal. The Knicks offered the Jazz a package that included Barrett before the Monday night deadline, but Utah declined.
Based on what Utah received from Cleveland, in order for New York to trade for Mitchell, the team likely would’ve had to give up Barrett and either Grimes or Toppin. If the Knicks would’ve made an offer such as that one, a Mitchell trade likely already would’ve happened. However, New York’s front office made the right decision by not succumbing to Ainge, which is what Cleveland did.
It may be hard for some Knicks fans to appreciate the hesitancy of the front office right now, and that’s understandable. The future in New York is still bright.
At the end of the day, the Knicks didn’t fall victim to Danny Ainge’s tactics and based on what the Cavaliers gave up, that’s a victory in itself.
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