Answering Whether Jazz's Tectonic Offseason Moves Hint at a Donovan Mitchell Trade
Welcome, Utah Jazz fans, to the craziness of basketball — better known as the NBA. With the departure of Rudy Gobert and other Jazz players officially traded, the attention is now squarely on Donovan Mitchell.
What does the Gobert trade, specifically, mean for Mitchell? With the current status of the Jazz, it's hard to say what vision executive Danny Ainge has for Mitchell.
Many fans have agonized over the possibility of Mitchell also getting traded after Gobert was dealt to Minnesota. Despite insiders reporting that the Jazz plan to retain Mitchell, are those well-founded fears?
Remember, Mitchell has averaged over 20 points per game since entering the NBA. Mitchell is young at 25 years old, with basketball upside to improve his overall game and he's become a perennial All-Star.
When healthy, Mitchell is eager and hungry to play with no restrictions and he's a player that has the ability to shoulder the load of an organization and contribute to his local community. He would also be able to assist with the transition of the newly-acquired Jazz players.
Most importantly, Mitchell can be a key piece in Utah competing to obtain an NBA championship and is the unquestioned alpha on the team. Overall, there are plenty of pros for Mitchell.
It all adds up. So what reasons could the Jazz possibly have to trade Mitchell too?
Based on recent moves by the Jazz, a rebuild of some magnitude is currently in play. So why not go full tank mode?
If Mitchell is traded, one would think the Jazz would yield plenty of additional assets in return. That compensation could include a player or multiple players, multiple draft picks, and a lot of salary-cap space created for the future. The draft picks would seem to take center stage as Utah has never been a destination sought out by upper-tier and elite NBA free agents.
The Jazz just hired Will Hardy to be the new head coach, as well as executive David Fizdale, just days before trading Gobert. Utah also has a relatively new owner.
About the only foundational piece that remains is Mitchell. This could hint at a potential Mitchell trade.
Bottom Line
Every NBA championship team has an elite superstar on its roster and, Mitchell certainly fits that bill. When you show up to training camp, the alpha has a direct and indirect way of keeping order on the team.
It's important to keep homegrown pieces on your roster as it can establish a long-term tradition and culture for an organization. Jazz Nation is used to a winning culture and winning basketball games.
That means it's in the best interest of Utah to keep Mitchell and see how this current rebuild shakes out. If the Jazz are intent on trading Mitchell, at least wait until after the All-Star game which will be held at Vivint Smart Arena in 2023.
Everyone has his or her vision on what moves will translate to success for the Jazz. Only time will tell what final decision is made regarding Mitchell but the initial read on the situation is that he's staying.
