Here's the Big Reason Why it Doesn't Make Sense to Trade Donovan Mitchell

The Utah Jazz are currently in unfamiliar territory as an organization. Rudy Gobert is gone and it seems Donovan Mitchell will soon follow.

Following a probable Mitchell trade, the Jazz would have a plethora of both draft picks and available cash in an effort to rebuild the roster. Utah's abundance of active basketball maneuvers surely has Jazz Nation contemplating the true direction of its team.

The high number of draft picks and cash the Jazz are currently sitting on post-Gobert trade would drastically increase with a finalized Mitchell trade. But history would suggest that Utah has long been aligned with an inability to sign elite players and upper-tier free agents.

NBA teams have begun an updated trend, signing their current elite and upper-tier players to a contract extension years before that player's current contract expires. This tactic will make it next to impossible for NBA teams to court designated franchise-changing players, and somewhat dilutes the free-agent market.

When trading a player for draft picks or vice versa, the process can be tedious, frustrating, and can ultimately fall through due to the inability of both sides to agree on satisfactory terms. Most trades result in more victories for one of the two trading partners.

Then other teams and even the same team attempt to base an additional trade(s) on the success of previous trade(s). This issue could exist with the Jazz trying to trade Mitchell.

Utah may think it can obtain more assets in a Mitchell deal than it received in the Gobert trade. But the trading partner(s) could be more reserved, which may result in a much more difficult transaction involving Mitchell.

Again, the Jazz are sitting on draft picks and cash capital with the ability to earn more in both categories via a Mitchell trade. But with Utah's historical inability to sign elite free agents, coupled with a diluted free-agent market, how would additional cash capital help the Jazz?

As far as the draft picks the Jazz acquired, maybe they land an All-Star via the NBA draft. The draft can be a crap shoot.

The Jazz clearly won the Gobert trade, while receiving multiple first-round draft picks and clearing cash. All eyes are now on Mitchell as Jazz Nation waits to see how his trade will better the team.

Honestly, the Jazz should have waited until after the NBA All-Star game, and make any trades before the NBA trading deadline. Teams would have a much better feel for the playoffs with Gobert and Mitchell's trade stock being no worse than the current market is yielding.

The Jazz would've had a far less chaotic offseason with their winning culture and stability in tact to start the 2022-2023 season. If a Mitchell trade is facilitated along with the departure of Gobert, one of the greatest small market teams in NBA history might not viewed as it is now for many years to come.

In the end, it makes you wonder: what is the real point of trading players for a small-market team?

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