“Enough of people not treating him as a star” Stephen A. Smith believes the Knicks should offer 4-5 picks for Donovan Mitchell
Stephen A Smith talks about Donovan Mitchell
New York Knicks are looking to add a star-level player to their franchise with Donovan Mitchell constantly being linked with them this offseason. The Big Apple is looking for massive change in the franchise in order to deliver the title after a nearly a 5-decade wait. While they already have signed Jalen Brunson from the Mavs, Donovan Mitchell is constantly being tracked by their front office. Mitchell is one of the league’s best young stars, and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith believes that the Knicks should make a move for him.
After a mega deal for Rudy Gobert, the Jazz has been open again to the idea of trading their three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell. It is very much clear that the Utah team is looking for a complete rebuilding stage. One of the most interested teams for Mitchell is the New York Knicks.
Stephen A Smith, considered a Knicks fan, talked about why the Knicks should pursue Mitchell. He said, “Donovan Mitchell is a star. I’m tired of people talking about him like he’s not. Donovan Mitchell is stud. When I think about Donovan Mitchell, I think about a stud, who’s a star, who is somebody that the New York Knicks franchise desperately needs, period. I would not give up more than five picks for him. The Knicks have eight in the next seven years. I’d give up four, five for him.”
The Knicks won their latest NBA title in 1973 and recently have been struggling with inconsistent performances from their stars. Mitchell is a proven, dependable, and very consistent star, who certainly could raise the Knicks’ chances for the title.
New York Knicks are looking to strengthen their roster for the 2023 season with the addition of Donovan Mitchell and Brunson.
A big market franchise is losing out patience over their failures to win a title. It’s been years since the Knicks have had a legitimate star on their roster. Of course, they have Julius Randle and RJ Barrett making some buzz for the team, but they haven’t been very inconsistent with their performances. New York has identified the issue and looking to strengthen its roster with more reliable stars.
They already have offered a max contract to one of the emerging stars from the 2022 postseason – Jalen Brunson. Dallas Mavericks wanted to keep their asset for next season, but the Knicks prized them out and won the battle for Jalen Brunson. Though adding Brunson won’t solve much of the problem for them and the Knicks are looking for another consistent star to add to their roaster.
After Utah Jazz looked set for complete rebuilding mode, their 3-time All-star and offensive force Donovan Mitchell became available in the market. The Knicks needed a star like Mitchell, someone who has proven he can step up big time whenever necessary. The native boy could be a valuable addition for the Knicks citing his performances over the years.
The 25-year-old athletic guard has shown how good he has been since his rookie season. Mitchell has never averaged below 20 points per game in his five-year regular season career and made it to the postseason every season. His playoff run is even more impressive as he has managed to average more than 30 points per game on back-to-back postseason runs. He did it in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs.
Also, the Knicks are under impression that pairing of Brunson and Mitchell would attract one more star and could complete a “big-3” for them. As of now, people will be eager to see how things unfold in the Mitchell trade, and depending on the same, can the Knicks make any other trade to provide solidity to their roster?
Do follow us on Google News | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)