The Donovan Mitchell Dilemma And The Only Logical Thing The Knicks Need To Do

Alright, I've been thinking about this not just from last night but for years since that's how long Donovan Mitchell has been linked to the Knicks. Now Danny Ainge is open to trading Donovan Mitchell. 

Uh, yeah. No duh. 

Why wouldn't he be open to trading Donovan Mitchell? The Jazz are in rebuild mode. They got a HAUL for Rudy Gobert and Mitchell is better. So naturally when this report came out Knicks fans, Knicks haters and everyone else started debating what the Knicks should do. 

I'm sorry? 

Hear me out. The Knicks shouldn't do SHIT. At least not yet. You don't mortgage the future for Donovan Mitchell. You don't need to. I've seen people talking about trading RJ Barrett as part of the offer to Mitchell. Again, fuck no. You need RJ Barrett to stay there with Brunson/Mitchell/Robinson. That's a fun ass core. But you're giving up a bunch of picks (which the Knicks actually have) + young pieces. You're looking at Grimes, Quickley, Toppin, Randle. 

Now the Knicks should obviously reach out to the Jazz and put out some feelers. Offer Randle + two of the young guards + picks but that's the top offer. If the Heat want to unload all their assets, go ahead. There will be more Donovan Mitchell's out there - and I like Donovan Mitchell. But you don't get rid of all these players. Just offer a bunch of picks since you have Mitchell for years under control. 

But the talk of selling everyone for Mitchell? Nope. The Knicks have a TON of young pieces. Mitchell doesn't turn them into a title contender. A damn good team? Sure. But not a title contender. That's why you don't sell all those young pieces for Donovan Mitchell.

We've been down this road before. Remember Melo? Remember how it was inevitable he'd join the Knicks? You don't mortgage the future for a player that is good but not title leading great. That simple.