The New York Knicks are a team that everyone is keeping an eye on as we head toward the 2023-24 regular season. They were a major surprise last season, going 47-35, earning the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Their success didn’t stop there as the Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Their season was ended by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but it was a successful season nonetheless.
It will be interesting to see the improvements that the Knicks can make this season. A lot of it will be internal, counting on younger players to continue developing and taking their games to the next level. RJ Barrett will be leading that charge as he looked great through most of the postseason and this summer while playing for Team Canada.
Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Mitchell Robinson are three more young players that New York is hoping to take that next step as well. The addition of Donte DiVincenzo in free agency should fill a lot of the holes that existed on the roster as a knockdown shooter with defensive versatility.
But, what people are really waiting to see is when the Knicks pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard have all been involved in some degree of rumors this offseason.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers & New York Knicks Updates
Their futures are up in the air and the Knicks are going to have varying amounts of interest in them. However, could New York double back on a star they pursued previously? They got very close last season, nearly acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz before they opted to send him to the Cavaliers. From the sounds of it, Mitchell could still be on their radar according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
“The Donovan Mitchell to the New York Knicks rumors still haven’t gone away despite the Cleveland Cavaliers trading for Mitchell instead of the Knicks last season. Mitchell is extension eligible this offseason, and if Cleveland thinks there’s even a chance that Mitchell may bolt, perhaps they look into seeing what value they can get for the player they just dealt three players — including Lauri Markkanen — three first-round picks and two pick swaps for.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers & New York Knicks Updates
The Cavaliers have to do their due diligence with Mitchell. If there is no chance he will sign a long-term extension, it would make sense to explore what kind of value they can recoup for him after trading away so much last offseason to acquire him.
It sounds like a matter of when, not if, the Knicks are going to be landing a superstar-level player. Mitchell would certainly solve a lot of their offensive shortcomings. He also showed last season he is capable of getting the job done defensively, as the potential he had on that side of the court coming out of Louisville finally showed through.
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