Can Raptors beat Knicks’ best offer for Donovan Mitchell?

The Toronto Raptors have been trying with all their might to make sure that Kevin Durant ends up on the squad, but he’s not the only game-changer Masai Ujiri has set his sights on. Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has been dangled in trade talks for the last few months as Danny Ainge eyes a rebuild in Utah.

Mitchell, who has scored at least 20 points per game every year he’s been in the league and is fresh off averaging just under 26 per game last year, has been targeted by the New York Knicks. Tom Thibodeau and Leon Rose need a star acquisition to get this ragtag bunch back to the playoffs.

While Mitchell hasn’t necessarily been pursued by Toronto as doggedly as Durant, the idea of him and Fred VanVleet in the same backcourt could be so offensively dynamic that it makes the Raptors a contender. The only issue is that the Knicks have made a very compelling offer to Utah that Toronto might not match.

Shams Charania is reporting that the Knicks have offered Evan Fournier, former Top-10 pick Obi Toppin, and five first-round picks to Utah in exchange for Mitchell. Can the Raptors beat the Knicks to the punch, or will they be perpetually stuck behind the Knicks in the Mitchell chase?

Will the Toronto Raptors lose Donovan Mitchell to the Knicks?

In terms of win-now assets, the Raptors clearly have more to offer than New York. One of OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr. could be the headliner in a Trent trade, but it looks like the Jazz are prioritizing getting as many draft picks as possible rather than getting some win-now assets in return.

The Raptors have been willing to offload future draft picks in exchange for players that can help them win now, but they have been unwilling to give up multiple years of draft control. Mitchell would be a tremendous boost, but acquiring him would require a huge shift in organizational philosophy.

A trade might not be as close as it seems, as Utah reportedly wants the Knicks to offer even more in return before they trade Mitchell. However, if the Jazz still want all the picks, the Raptors might not be equipped to acquire Mitchell at this point in time.

The Knicks acquired tons of heavily protected future first-round picks during the 2022 NBA Draft for this exact scenario. The Raptors might not like the idea of playing Mitchell four times a year in the division, but they might need to brace for that unfortunate reality barring a huge reversal.