Jazz Should Know NBA History Before Trading Donovan Mitchell Away
Utah Jazz executive Danny Ainge continues the pursuit of trading All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Several sources have stated that talks are intensifying to complete a deal prior to training camp.
If the Jazz deal Mitchell, it'll mean saying goodbye to the face of the franchise. What can NBA history tell us about the teams that have done that in the recent past?
If Ainge is successful in trading Mitchell prior to the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season, consider this a cautionary tale for teams looking to move a face-of-the-franchise player.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Once upon a time, Oklahoma City had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden all under contract. Eventually, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets, but for nearly a decade, Durant and Westbrook played incredibly together.
Both were in their prime and NBA All-Stars. For whatever reason, the Thunder could not retain the dynamic duo and are now a mere lottery-bound team. As the Thunder rebuilds, they selected Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
Unfortunately, Holmgren was injured during a summer league basketball game and will not play this NBA season. The Thunder will probably remain in the NBA draft lottery.
Houston Rockets
Harden was traded to the Rockets before the start of the 2012-2013 season. An abundance of players entered and exited Houston, but the Rockets made sure the All-Star guard remained the face of the franchise.
As long as Harden played in Houston, the Rockets were playoff-bound and even championship contenders for several seasons. With Harden no longer on the Rockets' roster, they've become a consistent lottery team.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers have the luxury of sporting the services of Damian Lillard. The Blazers resemble the Jazz in several ways, being a small-market team and both having a bona fide All-Star. Sure, Lillard has more accolades than Mitchell, but both are easily identifiable with their respective franchises.
Lillard was injured last season and the Blazers did not make the playoffs and instantly became lottery bound. The Blazers had a first-year head coach in Chauncey Billups and decided to trade away multiple players including star CJ McCollum.
The Blazers mulled over thoughts on trading Lillard. But after Billups experienced loss after loss after loss, 55 to be exact in an 82-game season, Lillard was no longer in the discussion of trade talks.
The Trail Blazers and Billups not only removed Lillard from trade conversation, but awarded him with a contract extension. Let's be clear, without Lillard on the floor, the Blazers went from championship contenders to the lottery in just the one season he was injured.
What it Means for Utah
Ainge seems intent on trading Mitchell before the start on the season. But has the exec seriously considered how his corporate trade move will affect the Jazz and fans?
Obviously, as recent history tells us, trading a player of Mitchell's magnitude generally doesn't pan out well for the team dealing him away. At least, not in the short-term.
Follow James on Twitter @jlewNBA.
