By now, we all know that the New York Knicks wanted to land Donovan Mitchell during the offseason and that their plans didn’t work out.
Of course, Mitchell would eventually sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers in one of the biggest trades of the summer.
We aren’t still entirely sure why New York wasn’t able to get this done, though.
"When the [Knicks brass] showed up for the playoff game with [Jalen] Brunson on one side and Donovan Mitchell on the other, I was told that Danny Ainge sat up there and said, 'when hell freezes over will I do a deal with them.'"
— @stephenasmithpic.twitter.com/vfhW9lZfyM
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) October 19, 2022
Stephen A. Smith opened up a bit about the behind-the-scenes drama, telling Tracy Morgan (of all people) about what he had heard from Knicks insiders.
It sounds like Danny Ainge of the Utah Jazz just really didn’t want to work with New York.
Said Smith:
“When the [Knicks brass] showed up for the playoff game with [Jalen] Brunson on one side and Donovan Mitchell on the other, I was told that Danny Ainge sat up there and said, ‘when hell freezes over will I do a deal with them.'”
Smith’s statement makes it clear that the Knicks never really had a chance of getting Mitchell.
Will they be able to survive without him?
No Mitchell, No Problem?
The Knicks had a plan for Mitchell but it wasn’t enough to win over the Jazz.
But they still made a few moves during the summer, most notably signing Jalen Brunson.
Brunson is now the team’s lead guard and his preseason work has been impressive.
Starting this week, we will see if the team is able to overcome its problems, move forward with Brunson, and find a high spot in the Eastern Conference rankings.
Maybe they won’t need Mitchell after all.
The failure to land that superstar was painful, of course, but the Knicks are looking ahead and hoping they don’t always regret this past offseason.
NEXT: Jalen Brunson Looks To Prove The Doubters Wrong