Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal

The benefits of acquiring Donovan Mitchell are obvious. The secret sauce in this trade, from the New York Knicks’ perspective, is that acquiring Westbrook comes with benefits too.

After all, he’s on an expiring contract. Meanwhile, neither Rose or Fournier is. The Knicks aren’t only acquiring a star here – they’re acquiring the means to land another one for 2023-24.

Characterizing this deal as part of a long-term plan for the Knicks may seem counterintuitive. After all, they’re largely trading future-focused assets to get the deal done. On the other hand, the plan is apparent and simple: trade for one star, and clear cap space to sign another down the road.

Of course, the Knicks are also acquiring Donovan Mitchell. He is, to put it lightly, very good at basketball. Between him, RJ Barrett, and Jalen Brunson, the Knicks should at least be more competitive in 2022-23 than they were last season.

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If they’re competitive enough, they should be able to attract a star free agent. After all, they do play in New York.