New York Knicks

For years, the New York Knicks have been near the bottom of the standings in the NBA, but now, they finally are trending in the right direction. In fact, they finished with the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, so they may finally be a team on the rise in the league. 

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The Knicks are still far away from competing for a championship, but given all of the salary space they have this offseason, they could make a ton of moves to set themselves up for long-term success. There have even been talks of them possibly pursuing All-Star guard Damian Lillard via a trade this offseason! 

Whatever the Knicks decide to do, they are going to be making moves with the mindset of finding success in the postseason, which is why they are a team to monitor moving forward in connection with Donovan Mitchell. They are not going to be looking to trade for him this offseason nor during the 2021-22 season, but they are definitely a team to keep an eye on if Mitchell wants out of Utah. 

Sources close to Mitchell have spoken with NBA Analysis Network and have talked highly of the New York Knicks. Donovan Mitchell grew up a New York sports fan and would definitely entertain the idea of playing in Madison Square Garden if they can prove their success was not just a one year flaw. 

“Donovan grew up in the tri-state area and has been a fan of the NYC area his entire life… If the Knicks continue to grow and prove that they can win games, then there is no reason why he [Donovan] would not be interested in playing for them [Knicks].”

One of the biggest reasons why Donovan Mitchell has such a strong connection to New York City is because his father worked for the New York Mets for years while he was growing up. Donovan Mitchell Sr. began working for the Mets in 1999 as a minor league manager and coach and to this day, he is still involved with the Mets as their Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. 

READ MORE: NBA Rumors: Knicks already preparing for a potential Damian Lillard trade

Playing in New York under the bright lights in Madison Square Garden would probably be a dream come true for Donovan Mitchell, which is why the Knicks organization could look to make some moves over the next few years ensuring that they can sustain success. 

By creating a roster that can contend for a playoff spot year after year, as well as leaving the door open for a big trade, the New York Knicks could definitely keep an eye on what is transpiring in Utah and potentially make a move over the next few years to go after Donovan Mitchell.