The Plot Thickens

The Jazz are open for business on Donovan Mitchell. Expect the Knicks to be in on the action.

Good morning! So this was funny…

After nearly two weeks of being glued to my phone awaiting contract details on the various deals New York signed in free agency, I finally broke down and put the phone on silent to see Thor: Love and Thunder with my older daughter. In the run time of that movie, the Isaiah Hartenstein and Jalen Brunson contracts were both revealed and Woj reported that Utah was open for business on Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell Robinson’s deal became public on the walk home. Because of course it did.

Anyway, I walk in and tell my wife about the happenings. “Donovan Mitchell,” she inquires, not trying to be funny, “isn’t he the guy they didn’t draft a few years ago?”

Yes dear, he is.

“And didn’t they draft Frank Ntilikina instead?”

Yes dear, they did.

“They also just signed a point guard, right?”

Why yes dear, they did indeed.

“Well that’s kinda funny.”

My wife has quite the sense of humor. Let’s get to it.

🗣 News & Notes ✍️

🏀 We start with Donovan, because where else would we begin.

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn

After previously shutting down inquiries on moving All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, rival teams say the Utah Jazz are showing a willingness to listen on possible trade scenarios, sources tell ESPN.

Woj added that while “the asking price appears to be steep,” after the Gobert trade, “the Jazz are no longer simply dismissing calls on Mitchell.”

Toby Jones, who covers Utah for the Athletic and is very plugged in on all things Jazz, said the quiet part out loud:

Tony Jones @Tjonesonthenba

Expect the New York Knicks to quickly try and put together a package for Donovan Mitchell, according to league sources. Utah’s bar for Trading Mitchell is sky high. But the Knicks are the team that has the assets to make this a conversation

While the fan base is split over the wisdom of giving up what is sure to be a gargantuan package to secure Mitchell’s services, the fact that the Knicks will be in the running should surprise no one. For one, as I’ve been writing about for years, this has always been the endgame for the Leon Rose regime. Second, if there’s a coach in the league who believes he can scheme around the smallest starting back court in the NBA, it is Tom Thibodeau. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I suspect the Jazz are pining for the Knicks to get involved as much as the Knicks are pining for Mitchell. Allow me a bit of leeway to explain why.