NBA Analyst Warns Knicks to ‘Look Out for’ Rival in Donovan Mitchell Trade Pursuit

New York has been linked to Donovan Mitchell for years, but they may face stiff competition if he hits the trade market.

Barring something unforeseen, the potential for trade rumors surrounding Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and the Knicks likely won’t heat all the way up until next season. But with his longterm future in Cleveland still very much up in the air, his trade buzz has picked up steam a bit earlier than expected.

Only this time, the potential trade interest in Mitchell from New York comes with a warning that the cross-city rival Nets may be waiting in the wings to pursue a deal, according to longtime NBA analyst Matt Moore of The Action Network. Moore made the valid point that Brooklyn has the assets to potentially swing a deal for Mitchell and cited sources saying that they’re a team to “look out for.”

Moore explained that “everyone expects, and has expected,” Mitchell to eventually leave Cleveland, which has been the popular rumor floating around the NBA. In July, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps stated he doesn’t think there’s “any chance” that Mitchell signs an extension with the Cavaliers while discussing the topic on The Hoop Collective with Brian Windhorst, who has also remained steadfast in that belief.

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Mitchell is under contract for this season and next before having to decide on a potential player option ahead of the 2025–26 season. 

The Knicks have been the primary team consistently linked to the star guard. This dates back to when the Jazz traded Mitchell to the Cavaliers, and New York was believed to be heavily involved in discussions to acquire the guard.

In a hypothetical world where the Knicks and Nets get into a bidding war for Mitchell, it’d be quite the back-and-forth to monitor. And assuming one team emerged and struck a deal to land the star guard, they’d get a considerable bump in the Eastern Conference.