The Utah Jazz will look very different before the upcoming season. Last week, they pulled the trigger on a blockbuster deal involving Rudy Gobert. Gobert was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a handful of future draft picks, which could be used later for another trade. This move instantly put Donovan Mitchell‘s future with the team in question, with some believing the Jazz are headed for a rebuild. Currently, that does not appear to be the case.
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Instead, it appears that Utah is looking to build around Mitchell and retool. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reiterated that statement and reported that Mitchell does not plan on requesting a trade. “On Mitchell’s side, he’s going to stand pat,” Windhorst said on Thursday Morning’s Get Up show on ESPN. “He’s not going to force any action right now.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reporting this morning that Donovan Mitchell plans to “stand pat” in Utah and is “not gonna force any action right now”
pic.twitter.com/AponcFb4ay— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) July 7, 2022
Mitchell is one of the league’s promising young stars today. Through five seasons with the Jazz, he has made three consecutive appearances in the All-Star game. The guard also averaged at least 20 points per game every season since being drafted. Mitchell is on the verge of becoming a top-tier star talent in the league, and at 25 years old, he’s close to entering the prime of his career. That’s typically when stars’ desires to compete for a championship get stronger.
Utah, however, is not a championship contender as currently constructed. One team to keep an eye on is the Miami Heat, a contending team. Miami had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season but fell short against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Known for making big runs at stars, there is no question that Mitchell is high on their list of targets.
Mitchell Fills a Heat Need
Currently, Miami is going all-in on the Kevin Durant pursuit. Should that Durant pursuit fall through, Miami is expected to be more aggressive towards Mitchell. Miami would love nothing more than to pair the former Louisville Cardinal with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. After missing the NBA Finals, the Heat’s biggest priority is acquiring an elite player. With Butler carrying the offensive load in the playoffs, acquiring a player like Mitchell would certainly help. Butler was the only player to average more than 15 points per game this past postseason. Mitchell is one of the best three-level scorers in the league, and can help relieve some of Butler’s scoring load. Adding him would certainly help the Heat’s title chances.
For now, it appears that Mitchell will remain in Utah. The Jazz are certainly in no rush to trade him. Mitchell is under contract for three more seasons with a player option for 2025-26, and has not yet requested a trade from Utah. However, it is still a situation teams will be monitoring. If the Jazz have a bad season, the noise for a Mitchell trade will start to pick up again.
Should the Jazz eventually decide to move him, they are likely to ask for a number of draft picks. Miami currently can offer three first round picks to go along with Tyler Herro and others. Utah’s asking price will be high, but not as high as the Brooklyn Nets’ asking price for Durant. Nevertheless, Miami will continue to monitor the situation and make an aggressive move when the opportunity comes.
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