New York landing another star may keep Donovan Mitchell with the Cleveland Cavaliers long term

The Cleveland Cavaliers know that Donovan Mitchell could leave sooner rather than later.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a short window to win with Donovan Mitchell, or at the very least, to prove to Mitchell Cleveland is where he should be. The former Utah Jazz guard was happy to be dealt to Cleveland initially but the recent playoff loss to the New York Knicks, and the fact that Mitchell was golfing with a New York Knicks front office member Allan Houston, plus the fact he’s from the area, has many wondering if he’s heading to New York sooner or later regardless.

If Mitchell did leave Cleveland after becoming a free agent, then it’d be fair to say (at this point in time) that the deal to get him was a bad one. If Mitchell extends his contract in Cleveland, however, that narrative goes out the window.

Cleveland.com writer Jimmy Watkins wrote about how bad it would be if the Knicks went and got someone like Damian Lillard or Zion Williamson this offseason. The idea is that the Knicks would have an even better roster than the one the Cavs had this past season, so it’d be even harder to beat them in the playoffs.

That’s assuming the Cavs don’t make moves on their own, however.

The Knicks could make a move, but in doing so, they may end up curbing their chance of landing Mitchell in a few years when his deal is up.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be able to retain Donovan Mitchell if the Knicks make a major trade

If the Knicks land Lillard, Williamson, or whoever, there’s a good chance that the Knicks then become unable to afford Mitchell when Mitchell becomes a free agent. If the Cavs are successful with Mitchell, and he develops good chemistry with Darius Garland, that would give the Cavaliers the inside track to retain Mitchell.

At least, one would think.

And while some will think that this is winning a battle but losing the war type of situation, it’s also important to note that the Knicks, largely, only beat the Cavs due to their depth. Their style of bully-ball wasn’t the impressive, offensive, or defensive spectacle revisionists like to decree.

The Knicks were still held in check by the Cavs. Their defensive numbers are among the best in the league in the playoffs. The problem was that the Cavs resorted to hero-ball tactics and got beat due to their lack of depth.

A major trade would deprive the Knicks of that depth, and if the Cavs can improve their roster this offseason, then they may be the ones with the depth advantage.

• Published on 06/22/2023 at 00:00 AM
• Last updated at 06/22/2023 at 00:00 AM