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Recent rumors have suggested that the New York Knicks had some reason to doubt the Cleveland Cavaliers' interest in 3x All-Star Donovan Mitchell. With the trade news catching everyone in the league off-guard, ESPN's Brian Windhorst shared some interesting information.
Cleveland's acquisition of Donovan Mitchell came as a shock to everyone. After one of the longest-running trade negotiations of the offseason, the New York Knicks lost out on Mitchell after a breakdown in talks with Utah.
With Knicks president Leon Rose establishing a deadline for the Jazz, New York were forced to make a move as Utah violated the deadline. In the process of doing so, the New York Knicks offered an extension to RJ Barrett and the Jazz traded Mitchell to the Cavaliers.
While the Jazz-Cavs trade emerged out of virtually thin air, there were some links between the two teams. To this point, even the New York Knicks were rumored to be skeptical about Cleveland's interest in Mitchell.
Brian Windhorst shed some light on the matter on 'The Hoop Collective'. The analyst said:
"Frankly, I think when the Knicks were negotiating against the Cavs, the Knicks knew that the Cavs were bidding against them," said Brian Windhorst. "The Knicks, I think, thought they were bidding against themselves.
"And I think one of the reasons why the Knicks weren't 100 percent certain the Cavs were going to go all-in is because they were saying, 'Well, the Cavs can't trade for Donovan Mitchell because it will handcuff them on Evan Mobley.'"
Windhorst's report refers to certain guidelines within the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Given current CBA rules, Cavs sophomore big man Evan Mobley will become ineligible for a rookie-scale extension following Mitchell's acquisition.
Considering that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a young team, Windhorst suggested that the New York Knicks were certain that the team wouldn't tamper with their core. However, the Cavs managed to shake the league by pursuing Mitchell and adding to their roster strength.
With one of the most talented young cores in the league, Cleveland will be a team to look out for.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' issue with Evan Mobley
The Cleveland Cavaliers have created a short-term issue for themselves regarding their sophomore star Evan Mobley. The situation primarily emerges from the rules in the current CBA.
With Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell already on five-year deals, the Cavs won't be able to offer Mobley a rookie-scale extension in 2024. Given that Mobley's rookie contract ends in the summer of 2024, the Cavs will have two options available.
They could wait another season and offer him a five-year deal in 2025, or they could sign him to a four-year deal in 2024 itself. Both options come with their own set of complications.
With free agency emerging as a looming threat going forward, the Cavaliers will hope to retain their young core. As current CBA negotiations continue, the Cavs will also hope that a change in rules could help their situation.
Guess the Lakers players!
