Donovan Mitchell Trade Rumors: Why Magic Shouldn't Deal For Jazz Star
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic have been an under-the-radar destination for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, who has been the subject of trade talks recently.
On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons broke down the idea of a trade between the Jazz and the Magic.
"How about this? [Jalen] Suggs, you have [Jonathan] Isaac ... You could maybe throw Cole Anthony their way, and then three unprotected [first-round picks] and two swaps," Simmons said. "And now all of a sudden, you're ready to go. You have a real professional offensive basketball team."
The trade idea Simmons created isn't far off from what we suggested last week as a potential offer for Mitchell.
Acquiring Mitchell would certainly help improve the Magic.
A two-time All-Star over his first five seasons, Mitchell has proven to be one of the most prolific scorers in the league posting career averages of 23.9 points, while shooting 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc.
But the grass isn't always greener when acquiring a star talent.
Mitchell has been good, but he's yet to lead his team to the Conference Finals, let alone winning an NBA championship, which is the Magic's ultimate goal. Trading for Mitchell far from guarantees that the team would even make it to the playoffs.
Magic president Jeff Weltman and the front office envision hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy ... and the moves the team makes now are geared towards that eventual moment, which could come several years down the line.
The Jazz are asking for a king's ransom in return for Mitchell, a package that will likely include multiple future draft picks and young players the Magic is hoping will develop into better players within the next few years.
When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Rudy Gobert, the team felt it was in the right timeline to make such a move as the team made the playoffs and was looking for a boost up. Reaching the playoffs took years of rebuilding, and that's where the Magic currently sits.
The team's rebuilding process needs to play out a little longer before such a move can be made in Orlando.
