Watch: Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson attend Subway Series game at New York amid trade rumors linking the former to Knicks
Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson attended the Subway Series game between the Mets and the Yankees in New York. Mitchell's appearance at the venue flared up rumors about his potential move to the Knicks. The franchise is interested in acquiring him via trade this offseason.
Meanwhile, Brunson's presence also contributed to Knicks fans' excitement about Mitchell's presence in the game. Although they weren't spotted together, a fan posted images with both NBA stars on the eve of the MLB contest.
Here are the pictures (via Knicks Videos on Twitter):
Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson were at last night’s Subway Series game at Citi Field
(via IG/fitspaceman16, h/t @NBA_NewYork) https://t.co/iFYryc5xUL
Donovan Mitchell also posted a video of him enjoying the game from the stands on his Instagram story as he cheered on the Mets.
Donovan Mitchell is in Queens for the Subway Series 👀
(spidadmitchell/IG) https://t.co/vdAyXl3rii
New York Knicks frontrunners to land Donovan Mitchell as several other teams enter the sweepstakes for the 3x All-Star
The New York Knicks and Miami Heat were reportedly the first few teams to show interest in a potential trade for Donovan Mitchell. The Heat were also in pursuit of Kevin Durant. That allowed the Knicks to be in the driver's seat. They also have draft capital and young players that will entice the Jazz to trade Mitchell.
Following NBA rumors, the two parties have engaged in discussions. The two could've reached an agreement about two weeks ago. But New York declined Utah's demands to include six first-round picks and four young impact players.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets have also expressed interest in trading for the star shooting guard. According to NBA rumors, the Utah Jazz will only trade Donovan Mitchell if they can secure a deal they like.
The franchise will commit to a rebuild if Mitchell departs, so they would ideally prefer young players and a bevy of draft picks. They have already traded Rudy Gobert and Royce O'Neale, who fetched them a combined six first-round picks.
Talks between the Jazz and Knicks have slowed down. The Jazz will be patient before agreeing to a deal as Donovan Mitchell is still under contract for three years. New York has been eager to land a bonafide All-Star player over the last few offseasons.
They were successful in acquiring a long-term target in Jalen Brunson this offseason. It will be interesting to see if they can pull off a deal at an affordable price for Mitchell.