The Utah Jazz have been giving some mixed signals regarding their interest level in trading NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell. While the franchise looks like they are heading toward a rebuild with Danny Ainge already unloading Royce O’Neale and Rudy Gobert, things are moving much slower regarding Mitchell.
The Jazz were a team that needed a shake-up, but the return packages for O’Neale and Gobert would signal that they are going for a full teardown, rebuild. Draft compensation was the focus of those transactions and reportedly the focus of negotiations involving Mitchell as well.
In addition to draft picks, the Jazz are also looking for players on rookie scale contracts or team-friendly deals. That would enable them to keep their books as clean as can be, possibly turning into a team that can absorb unwanted contracts from other teams in exchange for draft capital.
Trading Mitchell is their last chance to acquire some high-end assets as none of the other veterans on the roster would return as much as him. The asking price for him is sky high, which is understandable. Mitchell is only 25, under team control for three more seasons with a team option after that and has already made three All-Star teams.
The Jazz are going to hold out for as much as they can for as long as they can, but the prevailing feeling is that Mitchell isn’t long for Salt Lake City. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the team is engaged in trade talks for him because the overwhelming feeling around the league is that Mitchell will leave Utah the first chance he gets, which would be in 2025 as a free agent.
The longer that the Jazz waits, the less enticing the packages are going to be. Part of the reason that they can ask for so much is the number of seasons that Mitchell’s contract is still guaranteed for. That is arguably the best bargaining chip that they have, as keeping him on the roster would lead to the Jazz winning more games than a rebuilding team likely wants to.
The New York Knicks and Jazz haven’t engaged in trade talks recently, but they still have the best package to offer. The Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors are a few other teams to keep an eye on when it comes to Mitchell.
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