Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell ’s former teammate with the Utah Jazz, thinks that the star guard will end up playing for the New York Knicks at some point in his career.
"This is like non-bias, no outside info, I think he’ll play for New York one day, whether that’s sooner or later,” Ingles, currently of the Orlando Magic, said during an appearance on KSL Sports. “I think it would be great for New York and I think it would be great for him. Whether or not that actually happens we’ll wait and see.”
Mitchell was born in New York and isn't shy about his fandom for the local sports teams, especially the New York Mets.
The Knicks had a chance to draft Mitchell out of Louisville in 2017, but instead selected French guard Frank Ntilikina. Mitchell went to the Jazz five picks later, which paired him with the veteran Ingles.
Mitchell and Ingles made the postseason in each of their five seasons together (2017-22), but never made it past the second round. Each was traded in the summer of 2022, as Ingles was dealt to Milwaukee while Mitchell landed in Cleveland. The Knicks were heavily linked to Mitchell but opted not to pay Utah's massive asking price. New York earned a bit of a last laugh when it eliminated Mitchell in five games in the opening round of last year's NBA postseason.
Ingles appears to feel that Mitchell and the Knicks will be forever linked, even if the New York native remains stationed in Cleveland.
“He’s really enjoying it there,” Ingles said of Mitchell in Cleveland. “He’s a New York kid, obviously it’s always going to get brought up ... he enjoys the group.”
The Knicks' pursuit of Mitchell might not be over yet: the four-time All-Star did not sign a long-term extension over the summer, leading some to believe he might hit the free agency market after this season.
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