Cavaliers Possible Donovan Mitchell Threat Of Knicks Trade Has Cooled Off

The Cleveland Cavaliers have an important offseason ahead of them. Donovan Mitchell’s future hangs in the balance, although it’s sounding like he’ll end up signing an extension with the team.

One major threat over the last year has been the possibility that Mitchell would want to play for the New York Knicks. It has also been reported heavily that the Knicks have had major interest in Mitchell.

While that has been a thought in the back of the Cavaliers’ mind, it appears that the threat is no longer close to what it once was.

According to a report from the New York Times, New York would not be as “enthusiastic” about pursuing Mitchell as they once were. Things have changed for the Knicks and Mitchell isn’t viewed as a great fit with the elite emergence of Jalen Brunson.

“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.”

Clearly, this is great news for Cleveland. The lure of playing for a big city like New York can be a deciding factor in a star players decision about their current team. Now, the Cavaliers are sitting pretty with their franchise player.

Mitchell is coming off of a massive season with Cleveland during the 2023-24 year. He averaged 26.6 points per game to go along with 6.1 assits and 5.1 rebounds. In addition to those averages, he shot 46.2 percent from the floor and knocked down 36.8 percent of his three-point attempts.

Those numbers show why the Cavaliers must find a way to lock Mitchell up long-term. He is the heart and soul of the team and the clear-cut leader. Without him, the team would be nothing close to an Eastern Conference contender.

With Mitchell, on the other hand, Cleveland is a team that could be a contender. They need to make some roster moves this offseason, but the potential is there for them to be a dangerous team.

Expect to see the Cavaliers find a way to get a long-term deal done with Mitchell. He seems to like being in Cleveland and the team wants to keep him at all costs. The Knicks relatively bowing out of the picture is a major help to getting a deal done.