Although the New York Knicks ultimately traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks, apparently they originally had Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell in their sights.
The trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks went down extremely quickly. It seemed one moment Porzingis was being shopped and the next he was on his way to the Big D. However, a recent report from The New York Times’ Marc Stein indicates that the New York Knicks did much more of their due diligence than what it appeared when the transaction actually went down. In fact, part of what he had to report should truly pique the interest of Utah Jazz fans.
Stein made mention that the Knicks quietly explored the league for Porzingis trades throughout the month of January. And though they didn’t ultimately find anything that was as appealing to them as what Dallas ultimately offered, they certainly looked. In fact, one player in particular that the Knicks specifically targeted was none other than the Utah Jazz’s own Donovan Mitchell.
Here’s precisely what Stein had to say–
"“The Knicks spent much of January quietly canvassing the league for potential Porzingis trades, according to a person familiar with the talks who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. They tried for untouchables such as Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and, predictably, were rebuffed.”"
Though it’s an obvious statement, Stein’s last words “were rebuffed” still brings about a sigh of relief. No doubt, assuming he can return to health and stay healthy, Porzingis is a tantalizing and prolific prospect. He’s the prototype unicorn, capable of doing it all despite his seven-foot-three stature. Magically transferring him onto Utah’s roster would be incredible considering the talent he’d bring.
Freshly dispatched to inboxes everywhere: Your deep dive on how the Knicks and Mavericks assembled their Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster deal in this week's @NYTimes NBA newsletter --> https://t.co/TKlxgamJNk
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 5, 2019
But in place of Mitchell? No thanks. Not only would it be unlikely that the Jazz could hold onto Porzingis long-term, but the Jazz would have been giving up one of their most likable and promising stars in decades. You could argue that Mitchell is already better than Porzingis, especially based on the heights he’s taken his team to at such a young age, and having Kristaps and Rudy Gobert on the same roster is a questionable fit at best, even with Porzingis’ floor-stretching ability.
Stein referred to Mitchell as an ‘untouchable’ and of course that assessment was quite right. I’m sure Dennis Lindsey and Co. were intrigued by the thought of putting Porzingis in a Jazz uniform, but ultimately it wasn’t a tough decision when it came to Mitchell to say, “Hands off!”.
I, for one, am excited to see what Porzingis and rookie phenom Luka Doncic will be able to do with one another once they both hit the floor together, but I’m even more excited to see what Donovan Mitchell continues to do in his already riveting career. Jazz fans know how valuable he is, and apparently opposing teams agree considering the Knicks were willing to give up such a star in exchange for him.
Luckily and unsurprisingly, Jazz brass had the sense not to take the bait. Ideally Donovan will remain the face of the Utah Jazz for years and years to come, well beyond his rookie contract and subsequent restricted free agency.