Report: Knicks Won’t Seriously Pursue Donovan Mitchell If He Doesn’t Extend With Cavaliers

According to NBA insider Fred Katz of The Athletic, the New York Knicks won’t seriously pursue Donovan Mitchell if he doesn’t extend with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Knicks tried to acquire Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022, but the Jazz traded the All-Star to the Cavaliers. 

“If Mitchell were to hit the trade market again this summer, league sources say the Knicks would not be as enthusiastic in their pursuit of him — and that’s because the situation has changed,” Katz wrote. 

Mitchell can sign a four-year, $208 million extension this offseason. He is under contract for next season and has a $37 million player option for 2025-26.

According to multiple NBA reports, Mitchell is expected to sign a max contract extension with the Cavaliers this offseason.

“A league-wide expectation only grows that Mitchell will sign a contract extension with the club that acquired him from Utah back in September 2022,” NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported. 

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season while shooting 46.2% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 86.5% from the free-throw line.

The Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs in seven games but lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round in five games. 

“Several rival executives believe Donovan Mitchell will sign an extension with Cleveland,” NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported. “The belief is Mitchell, who just completed his seventh season, will sign a max extension for at least the next three seasons, which would put him at 10 years of service and eligible for more money on his next contract due to CBA rules.”

Mitchell has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists with the Jazz and Cavaliers. He scored a career-high 71 points last season against the Chicago Bulls.

“They (Cavaliers) are optimistic about their chances of re-signing Donovan and that he’s going to see this is the place where he should want to be,” NBA reporter Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said on Scotto’s podcast. “This is an organization where he can win and will try to make moves this offseason to put them in a better position to compete with the likes of Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and New York in the East. They believe making this coaching change and going away from JB Bickerstaff is a step that shows Donovan that they’re trying to be proactive and better themselves as an organization. They’re trying to make moves that make him happy.”