NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Utah Jazz are sending Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, and unprotected picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029 as well as pick swaps in 2026 and 2028. Seems like a great haul for the Jazz but why are fans of the New York Knicks so mad right now? There is no reason to be bashing the front office.
If anything, the Knicks came out as winners here.
The Knicks had a down season last year as they failed to make the playoffs. For whatever reason, they could not recapture that spark that had in 2021. ok, so what they did was add another good talent with the offseason addition of Jalen Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks. While he is not Mitchell, Brunson is the PG the Knicks have been searching for, for years. But no, the fans wanted more. They wanted a huge name to pair with whatever players they would have left after the Jazz depleted their roster for the All-Star guard.
And for that reason alone, is why there should be no tears shed today or any day.
It was rumored that Danny Ainge wanted at least 5-7 draft picks from the Knicks and he also wanted quality players in return. Sexton, before his injury in 2022 did average 24.6 points per game. He was set to become the face of the Cavs’ franchise. They also lost Markkanen who averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds last season with the Cavs. And what’s going unsaid is that neither player has 5 years in the NBA under their belt.
The Jazz Wanted Too Much From The Knicks
The Jazz wanted youth and talent. In order for the Knicks to pull off this blockbuster deal, they would have had to part with either Julius Randle or RJ Barrett. After Randle’s lackluster season in 2002, the fans were begging for his departure. But would moving him be the best move for Mitchell? While Obi Toppin has shown improvements, he’s still no Randle. Last season, despite his struggles, Randle still managed to average 20.1 points and 9.9 rebounds. Why give up your best post player?
With talks stalling, the Knicks resigned Barrett to a new contract, and then why would you move him anyway? Yes, Mitchell is an All-Star who averaged 25.9 points and 5.3 assists last season. Barrett averaged 20 points and 5.8 rebounds. But Mitchell is the better scorer, right? Well, Mitchell averaged 20.5 FG attempts while Barrett averaged 17.1 and Randle averaged 17.3. That’s 3 more shots per game over both players. Do the math there.
Now, with Brunson, Barrett, and Randle on the floor together, the offense should run smoothly with a true PG at the helm. But it still leaves the faithful, yet overzealous fans of the New York Knicks feeling as if they lost out on something. You didn’t. Just call down.
You managed to keep your core together. You landed a big name in Brunson and managed to keep Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, Derrick Rose, Randle, and Toppin. And best of all, you managed to keep your draft picks.
This is a growth moment for the Knicks. Because in the past, the Knicks front office would have pulled that trade trigger so fast just to get a big name into Madison Square Garden. But for once, they thought like an organization on the rise instead of one in desperation mode. This will all work out in the end.
Mitchell is a great talent and would have been a good addition to sell tickets. But was he the right player to help them win? Would his presence have meant tearing this current roster apart? Barrett and Mitchell have very similar games. The difference here is that Mitchell was asked to do so much more than Barrett has. Barrett has shown he can put up Mitchell-like numbers.
The New York Knicks did right, finally. They made the best decisions for their team and not the fans. No need to cry over what didn’t happen. The Knicks are better off without Mitchell. Just watch, you’ll see.
