Grade the Trade: Knicks strike again, get Mitchell from Cavaliers in new proposal

What could the Knicks offer for Mitchell?

The single-best trade asset that the New York Knicks had was Immanuel Quickley, and he is out the door to pair with Scottie Barnes and give the Toronto Raptors a talented two-man core to build off of. Otherwise, however, the Knicks held onto all of their first-round picks, leaving them with eight picks and three swaps to use to go star-hunting.

In a similar vein, the Knicks moved RJ Barrett (and RJ Barrett's contract) to the Raptors, but retained Evan Fournier and his expiring deal to begin the salary matching for another player. To get a player of Mitchell's caliber and salary, however, they either need to include Julius Randle or pair Fournier and another mid-tier player such as Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart or Donte DiVincenzo.

Finally, Quentin Grimes remains the Knicks' only remaining prospect asset, and he would almost certainly need to be included in any trade for a star. That gives a fairly neat outline for a Donovan Mitchell trade offer, and all that remains is to fill inside the lines with the specific draft picks and matching salary. Here is one such way that could look:

For the Knicks, this deal gives them a second offensive star to pair with Jalen Brunson, with Julius Randle now freed up to ease into a slightly-lower usage role. The size of OG Anunoby on the wing gives the Knicks support that the Cavaliers never did to their small backcourt, giving New York hope they can sustain a strong defense even with Mitchell and Brunson paired together. They move Mitchell Robinson to maximize their push this season, as Robinson will miss the remainder of the season.

The Knicks could start Brunson, Mitchell, Anunoby, Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein, with Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Precious Achiuwa coming off of the bench. That's a group that should push even the very best teams in the Eastern Conference.

What about the Cavaliers? Would they say yes to this trade?