One NBA writer is proposing that the New York Knicks trade RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Donovan Mitchell. Lee Tran of Fadeaway World proposed the following trade:
New York Knicks Receive: Donovan Mitchell
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, 2024 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2025 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2025 First-Round Pick (MIL)
Mitchell thought he was going to get traded to the Knicks last offseason. However, the NBA All-Star got dealt to the Cavaliers instead. New York and Cleveland met in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs and the Knicks beat Mitchell and the Cavaliers in five games.
“There is no doubt that this deal could end up being a solid proposition for both teams involved,” Tran wrote. “The Knicks have been linked with Mitchell plenty of times in the past, and he is clearly their dream target. Adding him would be a no-brainer for the team. The defense with him and Jalen Brunson in the backcourt could definitely become an issue, but in theory, the offense should more than compensate for the poor perimeter defense.
“The Cavaliers would get a solid return for a star-level player that only has two years left on his deal, and it is better to trade a player too early rather than too late. The Cavaliers were disappointing in the playoffs this year, and perhaps the team needs to make changes to truly compete for a championship in the future. Trading Mitchell would get them a huge amount of assets, which they could use to build around their young core.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Donovan Mitchell, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Cleveland Cavaliers & New York Knicks Updates
In November 2020, Mitchell signed a five-year, $163 million rookie scale extension with the Utah Jazz. The 26-year-old will make $32.6 million next season and $34.8 million in 2024-25. Mitchell can become an unrestricted free agent in 2025 if he declines his 2025-26 player option worth $37.1 million.
Mitchell was born and raised in New York. Two of his friends, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, play for the Knicks. If the Cavaliers don’t advance past the first round of the NBA playoffs next season, don’t be surprised if the Mitchell-to-Knicks rumors heat up once again.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Donovan Mitchell, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Cleveland Cavaliers & New York Knicks Updates
Mitchell is one of the best players in the NBA. He averaged 28.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists last season for the Cavaliers while shooting 48.4% from the field, 38.6% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line. Mitchell has career NBA averages of 24.6 points, 4.2 boards and 4.5 assists with Utah and Cleveland.
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