Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal 

It’s been years since the Knicks put a serious contender on an NBA floor. With that said, they’ve been sneakily making some good decisions in recent years. 

If you’re looking at this roster strictly in terms of its ability to compete in 2022-23, prepare to be underwhelmed. On the other hand, if you look at the Knicks’ collection of assets, it’s hard to walk away unimpressed. 

In fact, the Knicks have one of the best collections of draft capital in the NBA. Moreover, they have plenty of moveable contracts to match a star player’s salary as well. In other words, they’ve been waiting to make a trade just like this one. 

The Knicks wanted Mitchell, so it stands to reason that they’d want LaVine. He’s a comparable player and just two years older. Due to that slight age gap, the Knicks get away with giving up a little less draft capital than the Cavaliers did to land Mitchell. 

If this deal occurs, the Knicks might save a little by having failed the first time.