It's not quite NBA trade season, but it will be soon enough. There are two and a half months left until the February trade deadline, and a lot can happen between now and then. Will the New York Knicks make their big trade during the season? Or wait until the offseason?
There are a lot of questions, but not enough answers. With Joel Embiid and the Sixers off to a 12-5 start, it's looking more like for the time being, he'll stay in Philadelphia. The Knicks could shift their attention to another star they've been heavily linked to for the past couple of years.
New York had a chance to get Donovan Mitchell in the 2022 offseason but decided not to meet Utah's price. Leon Rose and the front office were clowned for that decision, but the Knicks got the last laugh in the playoffs.
If Mitchell were to hit the trade market in Cleveland, New York could look even better by getting him for a lower price than what the Cavaliers paid the Jazz. He didn't sign an extension over the offseason, and he argued that financially, it would be better for him to wait. While he was right in saying that, the trade rumors haven't quieted.
NBA executives reportedly monitoring Donovan Mitchell's trade status
According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, "Rival NBA executives are monitoring Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell’s happiness in Cleveland." Scotto added that if Mitchell were made available, the Knicks would be one of the teams "heavily interested."
Is that really a surprise? If it weren't for Danny Ainge's sky-high price tag, maybe Mitchell would already be a Knick.
As Scotto wrote, the Cavaliers want to sign Mitchell to a long-term extension. Depending on how Cleveland's season shakes out, maybe that extension will happen next summer. If not, the Cavaliers will have to at least consider trading him before he'll have the chance to decline his $37 million player option for 2025-26 and walk.
The idea of the New York native suiting up for the Knicks didn't end when he was traded to the Cavaliers. A trade may come a few years later than expected, but it can still happen.