Where will the Utah Jazz be without Mitchell?

The Utah Jazz have been at the center of the 2022 NBA offseason, dealing Royce O’Neale and Rudy Gobert early this summer, and Donovan Mitchell is alleged to follow. Gobert and Mitchell are both bonafide superstars, and with Mitchell on the precipice of being traded away, where will the Jazz be without their heart and soul?

Utah Jazz: Can they compete without their two All-Stars?

Last season, the Jazz finished fifth in the NBA Western Conference before an unfortunate loss in the first round to Dallas. Without three returning starters in Mitchell, Gobert, and O’Neale, the Jazz will be outside looking into the 2023 postseason, and might even have a shot at the worst record in a top-heavy conference.

Looking at the conference as a whole, it appears that the Rockets, Trailblazers, Spurs, Thunder, and Kings all have some degree of direction and future, but are destined to be bottom-feeders for the foreseeable future. The Lakers, Nuggets, and Pelicans, if healthy, could be darkhorse picks to make some playoff noise. Phoenix and Golden State are still very much established threats, and Dallas, Memphis, Minnesota, and the LA Clippers could all finally make a deep run.

So where are the Utah Jazz without Mitchell? Well, with seemingly infinite draft picks, they will have a brighter future than any of the true cellar dwellers, but their record next season might be one of the worst in the conference.

The Spurs are destined for an all-out tank in 2023, but all the other younger teams want to try and win now. The Thunder and Rockets have some young players, and the Blazers seem to think Damian Lillard can get them to the postseason. The Kings have Fox and Sabonis, so there’s no reason for them to throw games. It could be a race to the bottom, but with all the draft capital from a hypothetical Mitchell trade, the Jazz will be back in force soon.

Of course, the ideal offseason would include keeping Mitchell, staying somewhat competitive, and then using their three first-rounders in 2023 to build a real roster by as fast as next season. That seems to be the easy way out and would keep fans happy in the long term.