In the summer of 2022, it seemed fait accompli that the New York Knicks were going to trade for Donovan Mitchell. The Utah Jazz had already moved Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale, and the Knicks had a large chest of assets, so the connection made sense and seemed merely a question of when, not if.
Then the Cleveland Cavaliers leaped in and stole Mitchell away from the Knicks, offering a package large enough to entice the Jazz to pull the trigger. The result was a 51-win season and plenty of good feelings around Mitchell and the Cavs.
Then the playoffs happened, and those very same Knicks battered the Cavaliers right out of the postseason in five games. Now Mitchell is two years away from hitting free agency, and some of the discourse is that he is unlikely to sign a contract extension to stay in Cleveland.
Would the Cavaliers trade Donovan Mitchell?
If the pressure of a failed playoff run and the possibility of Mitchell walking for nothing prompts the Cavs to make a trade now, as some analysts have suggested, could the Knicks still be in the market for the dynamic shooting guard? If so, what would an offer look like?
Let’s lay out a potential trade offer and see whether it makes sense for both sides.
Laying out a deal between the Cavs and Knicks
The one player who is clearly off-limits for the New York Knicks in any trade discussion is Jalen Brunson; he’s their best player on a bargain contract and the star they want to pair with whomever they trade for. From there, however, any player on their roster could be in play.
Julius Randle is one option to match salary, but he doesn’t make much sense on a Cavaliers team with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. That leaves RJ Barrett as the primary means of matching salary with a valuable player. He becomes the starting point for a deal that begins to mirror the trade the Cavaliers made last summer.
The New York Knicks would establish a star-studded backcourt, with Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell together. Josh Hart could step into the starting lineup and join Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson in the frontcourt. The benefit of a two-headed guard attack, as the Cavs have learned themselves, is that either player can break down a defense and swing to their teammate to knife into the advantage.
The Knicks would also face the issue of playing two small guards, which is one of the difficulties of any team adding Mitchell. Does that challenge lead them to step out of the Donovan Mitchell trade market? Or would they simply seek to insulate them defensively, as the Cavaliers have?
Let’s assume this is the package the Knicks agree to. Do the Cavaliers say yes?
Would the Cavs say yes to this trade?
There is an initial question to be asked with any Donovan Mitchell trade idea, and that’s whether the Knicks should trade Mitchell this summer, two years out from his free agency. We won’t hash that out here; for the sake of this discussion, we’re assuming the Cavaliers have decided to field trade offers and are open to moving him for the right offer.
With that stage set we can seek to evaluate this package as a return for Mitchell. The trade market has reset after last summer’s overly inflated prices; it’s unlikely that the Cavaliers could get back the same return as they sent out for Mitchell. Even so, this deal comes somewhat close in terms of total value: three rotation players and three first-round picks is a substantial trade package.
RJ Barrett has had an up-and-down start to his career, but he is a young two-way wing under contract for four more seasons and can step into the starting lineup at the 3. Quentin Grimes would likely start at shooting guard, or at least enter a competition with Max Strus for the spot. Isaiah Hartenstein is a worthy low-end starter who would return to the Cavs in a backup role.
That’s three solid rotation players and potentially two starters out of the deal. Grimes in particular looks like the perfect 3-and-D player to fit into a contending team, and in a different system Barrett could take another step forward. This is an intriguing return.
The downside is that it’s unlikely to yield an All-Star player, as the picks would be unlikely to fall in the lottery and it’s a longshot for Barrett to reach that level. It’s a tough move to deal a second-team All-NBA player and not get back a top-line asset of some sort.
Making this trade indicates a lot of confidence in Darius Garland to be the offensive engine and an acknowledgment that a more balanced roster helps them win now. That’s not a terrible path to take, and this group could ultimately be better equipped to win in the playoffs than last year’s Cavs. It’s more likely that they’ll miss having another elite creator and the offense struggles to score at the highest levels.
It’s a reasonable trade package, and one the Cavaliers would strongly consider were they to put Mitchell on the block.
Grade: B