Knicks not likely to stage all-out pursuit of Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell

The Knicks feel pretty good about themselves after the trade with the Raptors that landed OG Anunoby in New York.

How good? Well, good enough that early indications suggest they don’t intend to stage an “all-out pursuit” of Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Let’s go back to Anunoby for a second. Fittingly, his first defensive assignment as a member of the Knicks came against Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards on Monday. And Anonoby’s first basket was a corner 3-pointer.

Those are the exact reasons that the Knicks traded for him — they wanted a 3-and-D guy to play alongside Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. (The assist on Anunoby’s corner three just happened to come off a pass from Brunson.)

OK, now for Mitchell. He’s from New York, grew up a Knicks fan, and every basketball-loving individual in the Big Apple has been longing for him to play for the home team. 

It seemed like a done deal a year ago — before president of basketball operations Koby Altman and the Cavs snuck in at the last minute, acquiring Mitchell in a blockbuster deal with the Jazz. The Cavs did it right under the Knicks’ nose, as the saying goes.

But after getting Anunoby, the Knicks are said to believe that they are in good shape. If they still seek another important piece, it could involve a trade of Randle and some picks. Mitchell and the Cavs likely would not factor into such a deal.

Also, as we relayed previously and Stein reported, the Cavs aren’t entertaining anything close to a Mitchell trade at the moment and are telling teams that’s not going to change.

So, the Knicks and Mitchell? Eventually together? Don’t bank on it.