Utah Jazz Linked to 3-Way Donovan Mitchell Trade Rumor
For Utah Jazz fans, there's nothing like starting the work week with another Donovan Mitchell rumor. The latest comes from NBA insider Marc Stein, who sees a potential three-team trade in the works involving the Jazz, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers.
"If the [New York] Knicks manage to win the trade race for Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, or even if another team unexpectedly beats them to Mitchell, league sources say there’s a decent chance that the Lakers will be involved in the deal. The two future first-round picks that the Lakers possess in 2027 and 2029 are the kind of top-shelf draft picks that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is believed to covet. Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract and those picks could be the Lakers’ entree to a potential three-team swap … depending on the players that would land in Los Angeles.”
This would be a blockbuster and makes a ton of sense. Ainge targeting Lakers draft picks in an era where LeBron James will be long gone has the lottery written all over them.
Also, consider how the Lakers were gutted by the New Orleans Pelicans of draft capital recently with the Anthony Davis trade. The Lakers are always a threat to reload in free agency, but getting unprotected picks in 2027 and 2029 could get this trade over the hump.
The Jazz don’t have enough on their roster to land both picks, but the Knicks sending one of their young prospects to the Lakers could seal the deal.
The regular season is less than two months away and all the parties involved would love to get closure on the matter. The Lakers acquiring guard Patrick Beverley sealed Russell Westbrook's fate, and the Jazz and Indiana Pacers are the two teams that have been mentioned in the rumor mill this summer.
Meanwhile, the Knicks and Jazz rumors have been all over the map. New York has the means to trump any offer on the table, but the asking price to obtain Mitchell won’t be cheap.
At a minimum, the Jazz will be looking to match the assets that were received in the Rudy Gobert trade. Settling for anything less than four unprotected picks and two prospects from the Knicks could be perceived as trading the three-time All-Star at a discount.
Players like Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley would be potential candidates to be traded to the Lakers. This would open up opportunities for multiple players on a young Jazz team who need live reps to develop.
The Jazz would be on a path to tanking the 2022-23 season in hopes of striking gold in a loaded 2023 draft. It feels like Jazz Nation getting answers could be just around the corner.
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.
