Knicks’ Tune Changing on Donovan Mitchell

It’s no secret that the New York Knicks have been looking to acquire Donovan Mitchell for a very long time, even before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers two years ago.

The Knicks were linked to Mitchell after he requested a trade from the Utah Jazz in 2022, but he ultimately landed with the Cavs. Even after the deal, the Knicks were still linked to Mitchell. But now, there’s reason to believe that the pipe dream of Mitchell returning to the Big Apple to play for his hometown team may be coming to an end.

“The Knicks are not in the same position today that they were a couple of summers ago when their offseason goal was to trade for Mitchell. They couldn’t make it happen, pulling out of negotiations when the price became too large,” The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes. “If Mitchell were to hit the trade market again this summer, league sources say the Knicks would not be as enthusiastic in their pursuit of him — and that’s because the situation has changed.”

Given the emergence of Jalen Brunson, it’s hard to see how a backcourt with him and Mitchell, two ball-dominant guards, would work out. Brunson has also found a tremendous amount of success with the chemistry playing alongside collegiate teammates Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart.

Any trade for Mitchell would likely involve one or both of those players and the Knicks’ chemistry could be compromised.

If the Knicks are cooling off on Mitchell in trade talks, it may mean that the team isn’t bullish about acquiring any superstar for that matter, at least when it comes to this offseason. New York is coming off its most successful season in over a decade, and the way it ended gives the Knicks reason to run it back with the same core.

Injuries to OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle put the Knicks in a position to fail, and yet they were still closer to a championship than they have been in 25 years.

That’s why the Knicks will probably say no to many superstar inquiries this summer and give this group one more chance to prove that they should have a chance to win together.

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