By Mike Rifkin
On Sunday the Knicks lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108. Donovan Mitchell, who the Knicks were rumored to be in on during the offseason had 38 points and 12 assists in Cleveland’s win.
Mitchell is currently averaging 32.2 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and 7.3 assists per game. Yes, it is early in the NBA season, but the Cavaliers are now 6-1 on the season and Mitchell is a big reason. Mitchell is shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three. Mitchell said after the game “It’s easy to point to this summer… but I’m pretty much friends with everybody on that team… Johnny Bryant’s like a big brother … got nothing but love when it’s your home team you wanna go out there and play hard.”
During the offseason it was rumored the Knicks were going hard after Mitchell, a Upstate, New York native. Eventually the Jazz traded Mitchell to Cleveland and the Knicks missed out on a star again. The Knicks potentially will have four first round picks in next year’s draft, four draft picks in 2024 including three in the second round, five picks in 2025 including two in the first round potentially.
So here is my question are the Knicks going to use all of these picks that they have? No, but even if they did the Knicks draft picks are not always worth the risk, why not move some of the picks and get a guy in Mitchell, who in his career averages 24.0 points per game. The Knicks have not had a star since Carmelo Anthony left. People criticized the Knicks when they made the trade because most experts believed Anthony would have signed with the Knicks that offseason anyway. Mitchell is under contract and would have been the move that Knicks fans got excited for. Eventually the front office has to step up and swing for the fences and acquire a star.
The Sports Insanity Network 