Donovan Mitchell aka Spida came so close to being the hero that New York needed and pairing up with his buddy Jalen Brunson last summer, but it wasn’t to be.
Recent rumors of Mitchell headed to the Knicks have been circulating around the league, especially since he hasn’t signed an extension with his current team the Cavaliers as yet.
So until that happens, the whispers will continue and while campaigning with Team USA before the FIBA World Cup, Brunson himself spoke about potentially teaming up with Mitchell.
“It’s impossible not to see things — rumors and all the stuff that comes up on Twitter and all that stuff every single day is always on TV,” Brunson told The Athletic. “There’s always possibilities when you hear about that stuff. Donovan is a good friend of mine for a while. We were in the same high school class, our relationship goes back a long way. I think right now, I’m more than happy with my guys, and I love my teammates.”
Brunson had the last laugh in the most recent postseason as the Knicks and Cavs faced off in the first round of the playoffs and New York emerged as victors.
Their series win marked the first time in ten years the franchise had reached the second round.
Some are saying it is unlikely that Mitchell will stay on in Cleveland and sign an extension but the team did give up a lot of assets to land him.
There is pressure on him to perform and lead the team deep into the postseason.
Spida is coming off a career year, although, last postseason his form took a dip and he was visibly hesitant at the rim.
The team has bolstered their position during the offseason by adding shooters like Max Strus and Georges Niang in free agency to take the pressure off Mitchell.
READ MORE: Cameron Payne Shares Bittersweet Take on His Old Suns Team