This is how close Donovan Mitchell was to being traded to the Knicks

Donovan Mitchell has made Cleveland home in his four years with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Before coming to the Cavs, though, he was nearly traded to the place he actually calls "home," New York City and the Knicks.

When the Utah Jazz were sending Mitchell out of town in 2022, he thought the Knicks were probably the destination.

“I kind of had the feeling I was gonna get moved," Mitchell told The Athletic after being traded to the Cavs. "Like I said, I thought it was New York.”

Where is Donovan Mitchell from?

Mitchell was born in Elmsford, a village in Westchester County, north of the city.

His dad worked in the front office for the New York Mets. And at the time of Mitchell's trade from Utah to Cleveland, his mom still lived in Elmsford.

“Who doesn’t want to be home, next to their mom,” Mitchell said after being traded to Cleveland. “I haven’t lived at home since I was in the eighth grade and I went to boarding school, so it would have been nice.”

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Why didn't the Knicks trade for Donovan Mitchell?

Reports from the time of the Utah-Cleveland deal suggest Mitchell was sought after by the Knicks.

They simply couldn't close.

The Knicks "engaged in serious trade discussions with Utah," The Athletic's Joe Vardon wrote at the time, "and couldn't or wouldn't match the asking price for a star who wanted to join them."

A lot has changed since. The Knicks have gotten good. Mitchell has led the Cavs to meet them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Everyone has ended up where they're supposed to be. But the alternate reality would've been a fascinating path, too.

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