Kevin Durant has pulled himself off the open market, which means Donovan Mitchell is the second best piece available
Kevin Durant agreed to publicly reaffirm his loyalty to the Brooklyn Nets, but in the process he may have done some damage to the plans the New York Knicks had for their season.
On Tuesday, after a flurry of NBA trade rumor updates regarding Kevin Durant on Monday, a representative for the Nets and Durant released a joint statement indicating that the two sides were ready to move forward with their partnership. This came after Durant publicly requested a trade if the team was unwilling to make changes in coaching and management.
While one would have to believe that Durant remains someone to be privately inquired about, a trade is unlikely to occur in the coming weeks.
In the process of pulling his name off the open market, Donovan Mitchell became the second-best available piece, shocking news for the New York Knicks.
After Kevin Durant announces his Brooklyn residency, keep your eyes peeled for Donovan Mitchell’s bidding war
Two laser teams focused on Donovan Mitchell: the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat.
Things looked great for the Knicks’ chances of getting Mitchell, mainly because Miami’s focus was split between Mitchell and Kevin Durant. But now, with KD out of the market, Miami can go ahead with its pursuit of Mitchell if it can still hope to make a major upgrade to its pre-season roster.
The Knicks may still be able to get to Mitchell, but Miami’s focus on him now will mean the price will go up, especially since they have attractive pieces to offer like Tyler Hero, Max Strauss or Gabe Vincent.
Bam Adebayo has also been mentioned speculatively in Durant’s discussions, but it is unclear if he will be on the table for the Mitchell deal.
Charania reports that the Knicks recently pitched the Jazz show Evan Fournier and Obi Tobin and two first-round picks, but Utah wants more. Things get even more complicated for New Yorkers, who may need to be prepared to ditch RJ Barrett in order to get to Mitchell.
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