BetOnline Make The Knicks -105 Favourites To Land Donovan Mitchell

Published: July 14, 2022
Author: Dean Carr
Last Updated: July 14, 2022

The New York Knicks have been priced as -105 favorites to land Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell via trade.

It is widely expected that the Jazz, who are now run by former Boston Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge, is going to head into a full rebuild after already trading away three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert this offseason.

Utah was able to recoup an incredible haul for Gobert that included four first round picks, a 2026 first round pick swap, Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Balmero and the draft rights to Walker Kessler. That deal in itself has undoubtedly raised the asking price for Mitchell, who is on a much friendlier contract and is an elite offensive player in a league where good offense beats good defense.

Mitchell is also five years younger than Gobert and is under contract for the next three seasons, as well as having a $37m player option for the 2025-26 season. With all those factors considered, it is more than reasonable for Ainge to expect an even greater return of assets in exchange for Mitchell given the NBA’s emphasis on perimeter play.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there was now a “willingness” from Utah to listen to trade proposals for Mitchell, while other veteran players such as Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson could also be moved.

There are a number of NBA betting sites that have priced odds on Mitchell’s next team, including BetOnline. You can find our BetOnline review here. As mentioned above, it is the Knicks who they believe are the most likely team to land the former Louisville prospect.

It has been reported that Utah are looking for a mixture of young players and draft picks in any Mitchell deal and that leaves the Knicks in a strong position. They have a healthy selection of future first round picks within their draft capital, as well as promising young players such as RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and Cam Reddish.

This is almost certainly more lucrative than the Miami Heat’s potential offer of young players like Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven and Nikola Jovic. The recent history of the two franchises would also suggest that first round picks from the Knicks are likely to be far more valuable than those from the Heat, who have made the Playoffs in 11 of the last 14 seasons. In that same timeframe, the Knicks have made the postseason just four times.

Mitchell is also a New York native, which further strengthens his link to the Knicks, who would look to partner him with free agent signing Jalen Brunson in their backcourt. They also appear to have no interest in trading their 2019 pick Barrett, while Julius Randle doesn’t fit the profile of player that Utah would be interested in taking back in a deal.

That could leave the Knicks with the potential starting five of Brunson, Mitchell, Barrett, Randle and Mitchell Robinson, which would certainly put them in Playoff contention. However, how much depth they would need to give up to land Mitchell could determine how high their ceiling ultimately will be.

There is also then the question of how far they can truly expect to go with such a small backcourt. Both players size up at around 6 ft and we have seen the limitations that can have from coming with a miniature backcourt in recent times through the Portland Trail Blazers.

Despite having two explosive scorers in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Portland were eliminated in the first round of the Playoffs four times in their last five seasons together, having just one Western Conference Finals appearance to their name in that time.

That said, one thing is clear — the Knicks need more talent and having Mitchell will only make them a better team. For a team that has missed the postseason 10 times in the last 14 seasons, they can’t afford to sniff at All-Star talent if they have the chance to acquire it, even if there may be some concerns surrounding the fit. The Athletic’s Shams Charania has confirmed that the two franchises are in talks over a deal.

Take a look below for the full list of odds regarding Mitchell’s next new team if he is traded this offseason.

Donovan Mitchell Next Team Odds

  • New York Knicks -105
  • Miami Heat +400
  • Boston Celtics +700
  • Brooklyn Nets +700
  • Los Angeles Lakers +900
  • Golden State Warriors +900
  • Toronto Raptors +1000
  • Sacramento Kings +1000
  • Cleveland Cavaliers +1200
  • Charlotte Hornets +1400
  • New Orleans Pelicans +1400