Are the Knicks Still Frontrunners for Donovan Mitchell?

Utah radio had a bit of a dire report for Knicks fans as the Mitchell talks reopen.

New York Knicks fans are, alas, all too used to seeing their team lose a lead in recent seasons. A Utah radio host has appeared to have they could be losing their grip on an offseason contest, namely one centered on obtaining All-Star Donovan Mitchell. 

Spence Checketts of ESPN 700 (KALL) has claimed from a source that the Utah Jazz  "have a couple of offers that I was told are from other teams outside of New York that they like an awful lot" involving the franchise face. The Knicks and their supporters have done little to hide their interest in the Empire State native, whose departure would be the de facto finishing touch on Utah's rebuild that commenced with the trading of Mitchell's fellow franchise face Rudy Gobert. 

Jazz-based sources, namely Tony Jones of The Athletic, revealed this week that Mitchell has attracted the attention of both the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards, while the Miami Heat have also lingered. 

While the Knicks have the benefit of a plethora of draft picks, they've been reluctant to part with some of the young veterans coveted by Utah, namely their "best-kept secret" and Las Vegas Summer League standout Quentin Grimes. Their apparent competitors might be more willing to acquiesce to Utah's demands: Miami, for example, could offer Tyler Herro. 

In either case, Checketts and his guest Andy Larsen seem convinced that a Mitchell deal will get done before the season starts, as the former believes that the odds of a trade happening prior to October's tip-off at "close to 100 percent." 

The powers-that-be at the NBA might hope so too: one of Jazz's rare national television appearances on the Association schedule released on Wednesday is a November visit from the Knicks, which will be shown to a wide audience on TNT.