It’s possible that the Donovan Mitchell-Knicks connection will remain a talking point until the New York native is draped in blue and orange. While the club could try waiting to court him in free agency next summer—he holds a $37.1 million player option for 2025-26, per Spotrac—there’s always a risk he could wind up signing an extension (with Cleveland or any other trade destination) before then.

If the Knicks are fully convinced Mitchell is their missing puzzle piece, then they shouldn’t bother trying to wait. The fact he only lands at No. 3 here, though, suggests there are reasons to wonder whether he truly qualifies as such.

He is, to be clear, a certified star, and the combination of him and Jalen Brunson in the same backcourt would put opposing defenses into countless pick-your-poison scenarios. Opponents couldn’t think of swarming Brunson the way they often have this postseason, a strategy Mitchell himself has encountered in Cleveland.

Still, if the Knicks are looking for the ideal sidekick for Brunson, they probably aren’t picturing a 6’3″ scoring guard who does his best work with the basketball in his hands. The talent would be tremendous, and there are ways New York could try optimizing both (staggering their minutes to keep an offensive star on the floor at all times, for instance), but the fit isn’t perfect, so it’s hard to slot Mitchell any higher.