NBA Odds: Could Donovan Mitchell Play For Knicks Next Season?
The Jazz have reportedly been seeking offers for Mitchell
Amid all the trade talks around Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, the Jazz have also reportedly been seeking out a deal for their star player.
Back on July 14, Danny Ainge and the Utah front office had reportedly been talking with "multiple teams" about a potential deal for Donovan Mitchell. The talks came after star center Rudy Gobert was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler and four first-round picks.
The picks are what the Jazz want in a Mitchell trade, to the point where Utah's reported asking price was to the tune of seven or eight first-round picks. A franchise is unlikely to give up that much, but like the Nets do with Durant, the Jazz have a high asking price for Mitchell.
The Knicks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks are teams who have expressed interest in the three-time All-Star. But in terms of betting favorites, it's New York that bookmakers seem to like for Mitchell's next team, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Knicks are -225 favorites to be the next team Mitchell plays a regular-season minute for. This means $100 bet on the prop would only pay out $144.44.
The Jazz (+200) and Heat (+350) follow in the top three, and Mitchell remaining in Utah to start the 2022-23 season makes sense due to the high asking price for a trade. The situation for Mitchell and the Jazz appears to be different than Durant and the Nets, where things have gotten much more public.
For Miami, it has plenty of options on the market if their pursuit of Durant fails, and Mitchell would not be a terrible fallback plan.
Interestingly enough, Brooklyn is the next shortest favorite at +1000 odds. This doesn't necessarily mean Durant would be traded to Utah, but it could signal Ben Simmons being involved in the trade, or an even chaotic scenario where Durant and Mitchell are part of the same deal in a multi-team trade.
Following Brooklyn are the Hornets (+1200), Wizards (+1400) and Lakers (+2500). Mitchell's fit in Los Angeles would be an interesting one, alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but it appears the two are committed to make things work with Russell Westbrook, but things could change if Utah is interested in trading for Westbrook.
The Celtics, unsurprisingly, are at the bottom with long-shot odds of +5000. While Durant in Boston makes theoretical sense, it would be a tougher sell to trade away Jaylen Brown for Mitchell.
The Knicks seemingly have the assets for a Mitchell deal, but they will have to decide who to give up in a trade to acquire the 25-year-old star.
