Is New York Knicks' Donovan Mitchell Dream Officially Dead?

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert appears confident that the team will be able to re-sign frequent New York Knicks target Donovan Mitchell to a long-term deal.

Nov 1, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks got one Mitchell back on Wednesday night, but fans probably shouldn't hold out hope for another if comments from Dan Gilbert are any indication.

Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, disclosed to Larry Lage of the Associated Press that he's confident in his team's ability to bring back Donovan Mitchell on a long-term deal.

“We’ve been talking to him, sure, for the last couple of years about extending this contract,” Gilbert told Lage of the 27-year-old All-Star's future. “We think he will extend. I think if you listen to him talk, he loves the city. He loves the situation in Cleveland because our players are very young and we’re just kind of putting the core together that he’s clearly the biggest part of.”

Nov 1, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) controls the / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Mitchell and the Knicks have been frequently paired ever since the Elmsford, NY native prepared to separate himself from the Utah Jazz. Cleveland eventually outbid the Knicks for his services, sending a package that included Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and five first-round picks to Salt Lake City. The Cavs' failure to convince Mitchell into a long-term deal (potentially worth $200 million) re-spun the Mitchell rumor mill in New York, but the Knicks have managed to survive with other veteran additions from abroad.

The Mitchell era has been a bit of a mixed bag in Cleveland: the Cavs did secure their first playoff berth sans LeBron James since 1998 under his watch last season but they fell to the Knicks in five games. Cleveland (44-29) has reached as high as second place in the Eastern Conference this season but has since fallen to fourth, with the Knicks passing them by completing a blowout victory over Toronto just about a half-hour after the Cavs dropped a surprising decision in Charlotte.

Gilbert nonetheless appears pleased with the Cavs' current trajectory despite losses in four of their past five. If the season ended today, fourth-ranked Cleveland would face No. 5 Orlando in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

“We really compete with pretty much anybody in the East,” Gilbert claimed. "“Boston has taken a huge lead, best team in the league. But if you look at the second, third, fourth seed and look at us, we can compete with anybody and we’ve proven that during the season.”

The Cavs own a 4-6 record against the East's current top three teams (Boston, Milwaukee, New York), including a 1-2 tally against the Knicks. Mitchell did not play in the last meeting on Mar. 3, which saw the Knicks take a 107-98 final at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse despite losing Jalen Brunson to a game-ending injury just 47 seconds in. That win gave the Knick a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker which could come in hany in the congested Eastern playoff picture.

Mitchell has missed the Cavs' latest swoon, as he's waiting for a re-evaluation after undergoing a nasal procedure on Mar. 19. Cleveland, also armed with rising young talents like Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley, is 33-16 when Mitchell is in the lineup this season but falls to 11-13 otherwise.