Donovan Mitchell wants to be traded to Nets, Knicks or Heat - The Athletic

[Paradise]

It’s unrealistic to acquire him without moving Ben Simmons but it’s still possible.

Would you take a chance at flipping Simmons for assets to Utah?

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[CalamityX12]

gimme Donovan all day!!! the thing is... sure move Ben for him in a heartbeat...

however this is where the universe thats **** outta here Nets Fans....

Ben is a better component/part/glue to KD and KY than a DM/KD/KY.

IF we get Donovan, major win, Kyrie has to be moved for someone at the 1 & 3 spot. IMO.

Now here i can easily rebuttal and contradict whatever i just said... perhaps due to the inept non existing coaching of an offensive gameplan that we've currently implore the last two seasons under Nash, perhaps Donovan is better suited?

The offense, as is, needs a 3rd dominant scorer in order to cover the blatant offensive garbage we implement here.

[Hello Brooklyn]

No way do I want Mitchell if it means moving Simmons.

This team NEEDS defense. And has needed it desperately ever since we traded Allen.

Simmons is exactly what we need. Mitchell should just go the Knicks.

[3pt_chucker]

I don't get the Nets fans wanting Mitchell other than he's a name and is from NY.

Moving Mitchell before even seeing what Simmons looks like would be a huge mistake. Even if you are super low on Ben or he starts the season poorly, Mitchell is a horrid fit next to Kyrie. That would be a midget backcourt, with below avg defense and neither are a true PG. Yuck.

I think Simmons' ceiling + fit next to KD and KAI is significantly better than Mitchell.

[MrDollarBills]

I'm sticking with Ben, sorry. I'm not dealing with Danny Ainge and his foolishness. We already got screwed by Harden and our draft assets are compromised.

Let the Knicks do it.

[Packers+NetsWIN]

Agree with above posts, do not want Mitchell since it means parting with Simmons just as the beginning. I'm sure it will also require some of the little remaining picks and young players the team has too. No thanks

[Shark]

gimme Donovan all day!!! the thing is... sure move Ben for him in a heartbeat...

however this is where the universe thats **** outta here Nets Fans....

Ben is a better component/part/glue to KD and KY than a DM/KD/KY.

IF we get Donovan, major win, Kyrie has to be moved for someone at the 1 & 3 spot. IMO.

Now here i can easily rebuttal and contradict whatever i just said... perhaps due to the inept non existing coaching of an offensive gameplan that we've currently implore the last two seasons under Nash, perhaps Donovan is better suited?

The offense, as is, needs a 3rd dominant scorer in order to cover the blatant offensive garbage we implement here.

I think you got it right. I don't think Mitchell would be a good fit with our roster as it's constructed as compared to Simmons.

I don't think a 3rd ball dominant scorer would do us any good. What we need is an orchestrator that can overcome Nash's coaching deficiency. We had that when Harden was here and I'm hoping Simmons could give us the same.

[Netaman]

Donovan's trade situation sort of reminds me of Harden in 2021. It was an obvious move for the Nets and our instinct was to give the guys we had a shot.

When Dinwiddie tore his knee and things weren't clicking, it made sense to do the trade and things did click. It could have been a championship winning move if he stayed healthy. And some of the reasons we were initially hesitant obviously also played out.

So with Simmons v. Mitchell, right now I think it's not a good deal. The Nets have 2 ball dominant guys who are going to put up a lot of shots. Simmons skill set fits better, even if he carries more risks.

I can however envision plenty of things happening a few months into the season that change the calculus. Simmons isn't the perfect fit we hope, Kyrie goes AWOL, behind the scenes KD isn't fully bought in and they need a new face of the franchise, etc.

[vincecarter4pres]

Mitchell is a lock top 15 player. Sign me up for a Simmons for Mitchell swap and send Kyrie packing.

[ecuhus1981]

No offense to the young man, I feel like Donovan is more sizzle than steak. Plus, the defensive pairing of him and Kyrie (and Seth, and Patty, and Cam) would be pretty putrid. Finally, we would have to pay through the nose for that exchange. Nah, I'm good with Ben.

[ecuhus1981]

Mitchell is a lock top 15 player. Sign me up for a Simmons for Mitchell swap and send Kyrie packing.

My friend, he is not. He's not even a lock top 30 player. Give him a season without Rudy, and you'll see he's a Zach Lavine type. In the right system, they can put up star numbers. But they can not take a team anywhere as the main piece. Of course, we wouldn't need him to be the #1, but Ainge will make some poor team pay that kind of price for him.

Would you give Simmons, Curry, 4 1sts and absorb some bad salary for Mitchell? I'll bet that's the valuation Ainge is going to get, and IMO Donovan is not worth close to that.

[Papi_swav]

Naa I'm good, we need Ben defense. Kyrie/Mitchell/KD sounds like a horrible fit. Kyrie for Mitchell swap I would probably consider because Mitchell is alot younger and alot less drama but Utah wouldn't do that. Simmons is a much better fit right now.

[MrDollarBills]

Simmons is a better fit. We need defense, rebounds and playmaking, not another volume scorer.

[JoseRizal]

We have enough offense. And giving up our best defender to form a Brooklyn Bitty Backcourt is the worst possible move.

I'm done with getting manhandled, outhustled and destroyed on D. We need dogs, not puppies.

[TheNetsFan]

If healthy Simmons is the better fit and player. If we can free up cap space in 2025, I'll pair him with Ben at that point.

[Riconet]

On paper, I agree that Simmons is a much better fit for the Nets than Mitchell. The Nets need size, defense and playmaking, not another 6'1" guard who takes a lot of shots.

BUT...there is a very good likelihood that Simmons isn't anywhere near the kind of guy whom a title contender can rely on as a key piece. He fell apart in the playoffs for the 76ers 2 years ago, then quit on the team. Before that, he couldn't be bothered to improve his shooting, and evidently Jimmy Butler (who is the kind of guy the Nets are dying for) couldn't stand him and his lack of dedication.

If that's true, and if you can get a blue-chip asset like Mitchell who is under contract for 3 more years, I think there's a very good case for unloading Simmons and his max contract now before he becomes the kind of guy, like Kyrie, that no other team will touch with a 10-foot pole.

Of course, that would leave the Nets with Kyrie and Mitchell, which seems unworkable. This would then beg the question of how KD really feels about playing with Kyrie again. If the Nets traded, say, Simmons, Mills and a #1 for Mitchell, would KD be OK with trading Kyrie?

Dream scenario IMHO is something like the above Simmons-plus for Mitchell, followed by a Kyrie trade, with KD's blessing, that returns some size, intensity and defense. Now that would be a summer makeover.

[NetsWorld]

If healthy Simmons is the better fit and player. If we can free up cap space in 2025, I'll pair him with Ben at that point.

Nets will be eyeing Booker/Doncic by that point, potentially to go along with Simmons. I doubt Mitchell; while it may seem unlikely now, I really would not be surprised if the Nets found a way to get a loophole through the Simmons/Mitchell rule and get them together now with Kyrie/KD. You just never know what kind of permission Silver will grant to a big market team like the Nets/Lakers. Lakers have manipulated league rules FOR MANY MANY years.

[therealbig3]

Mitchell is overhyped imo. Volume scorer with mediocre efficiency, and plays no defense. When healthy, both Gobert AND Conley were better.

[Hello Brooklyn]

On paper, I agree that Simmons is a much better fit for the Nets than Mitchell. The Nets need size, defense and playmaking, not another 6'1" guard who takes a lot of shots.

BUT...there is a very good likelihood that Simmons isn't anywhere near the kind of guy whom a title contender can rely on as a key piece. He fell apart in the playoffs for the 76ers 2 years ago, then quit on the team. Before that, he couldn't be bothered to improve his shooting, and evidently Jimmy Butler (who is the kind of guy the Nets are dying for) couldn't stand him and his lack of dedication.

If that's true, and if you can get a blue-chip asset like Mitchell who is under contract for 3 more years, I think there's a very good case for unloading Simmons and his max contract now before he becomes the kind of guy, like Kyrie, that no other team will touch with a 10-foot pole.

Of course, that would leave the Nets with Kyrie and Mitchell, which seems unworkable. This would then beg the question of how KD really feels about playing with Kyrie again. If the Nets traded, say, Simmons, Mills and a #1 for Mitchell, would KD be OK with trading Kyrie?

Dream scenario IMHO is something like the above Simmons-plus for Mitchell, followed by a Kyrie trade, with KD's blessing, that returns some size, intensity and defense. Now that would be a summer makeover.

The point about Simmons is valid.

Hes still young though and it would be foolish to write him off.

Simmons was also in a bad fit in Philly where he needed to be a secondary offensive creator. This won't be an issue on the Nets with so much offensive firepower.

Lastly, even if we wanted to move off Simmons it would be better to do so for 3 & D players. Not someone like Mitchell who gives us more of what we have an is bad on defense.

Trading Kyrie also makes no sense since he basically has no trade value and is an expiring contract to any team that gets hin.

[Hello Brooklyn]

Mitchell is a lock top 15 player. Sign me up for a Simmons for Mitchell swap and send Kyrie packing.

Bro where is the defense with that team?

Simmons was nearly DPOY 2 seasons ago.