NBA Rumors: Utah Jazz Are Re-Engaging in Donovan Mitchell Trade Talks

The Utah Jazz made a notable change this offseason when they dealt away their All-Star big man, Rudy Gobert, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. At the time, reports

The Utah Jazz made a notable change this offseason when they dealt away their All-Star big man, Rudy Gobert, to the Minnesota Timberwolves. At the time, reports indicated that Gobert’s departure would lead the Jazz to re-tool the roster to complement the team’s other All-Star, Donovan Mitchell.

But at this point, it’s become clear that nobody is untouchable in Utah — not even Mitchell. Last month, the Jazz fielded calls regarding Mitchell and signaled that he’s available for the right price. After seeing the type of assets they could land for Gobert, Utah explored similar packages for Mitchell.

For a team like the Philadelphia 76ers, they couldn’t afford the initial asking price for Mitchell as they lack draft assets. In fact, only the New York Knicks have been consistently linked to Donovan Mitchell, as they seem to be one of the few teams that can afford to trade for the young All-Star.

While discussions between the Jazz and the Knicks heated up back in July, the conversations quickly went silent. On Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that those talks had re-ignited recently.

The Latest on the Knicks’ Interest in Mitchell

“After several weeks of no conversations, the New York Knicks and Utah Jazz recently re-engaged in trade talks centered on Donovan Mitchell, league sources tell The Athletic.

The Knicks and Jazz had a fresh trade conversation within the past week about potential packages for Mitchell, according to sources. There is no traction between the two teams on a deal, and no Mitchell trade is imminent for the Jazz, sources said.”

The Knicks certainly have a need for another star. Although it seemed New York was on the right path two seasons ago when they clinched the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, they took a step back and failed to make the playoffs the following year.

A player like Mitchell would definitely bring a spark to the Knicks, but he won’t be acquired at any discounted prices. Considering the Jazz are willing to go into the 2022-2023 season with Mitchell on the roster, they don’t feel any urgency to move him. So, unless the Knicks feel desperate to land him, Mitchell likely won’t join the Eastern Conference soon. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.