The Donovan Mitchell trade saga has been rolling on for weeks now, and while it still seems likely that Spida is on the move, some new teams have emerged in recent days in the sweepstakes for No. 45. While it’s possible that the Utah Jazz hold onto their All-Star until the 2022/23 trade deadline, it still seems most likely that the No. 14 overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft will be on the move before the start of the upcoming campaign.
The New York Knicks still seem to be the leading candidate to land their home-town kid, but over the past few days, negotiations between the two franchises have seemingly stalled. Yesterday however, a list of teams targeting Mitchell emerged, and if the reported interest is genuine, the trade may be dragged out for weeks to come, with plenty of new suitors entering the fray.
Donovan Mitchell is no doubt a game changed for any of the franchises named, but only one team will land the services of such an elite scorer and clutch playoff performer. So where exactly will Spida land?
7. Could the Utah Jazz deal with the Atlanta Hawks?
The Atlanta Hawks were part of the teams interested in Mitchell and checked in with the Jazz on a potential deal, but for a number of reasons, it just makes little to no sense. Given that the Hawks just traded three first round picks to San Antonio for Dejonte Murray, they simply don’t have the assets to go after Mitchell, especially given the desires of Danny Ainge in a trade, which seems to be maximizing the return of draft capital.
There is a way for Atlanta to involve another team in this trade to give Utah the draft picks they desire, but with that idea comes the second problem for Atlanta. With Trae Young and Murray already pencilled in as the teams starting backcourt, adding a third All-Star caliber guard seems like an attractive idea, but it just wouldn’t make sense. There’s potentially a way for Atlanta to make that work, but given the lack of height that the starting lineup would then feature, just wouldn’t be a good thing for a team looking to take the next step in a very tough Eastern Conference.
Ultimately, Atlanta may have interest in Mitchell, but given their lack of resources and the way that he would fit on this Hawks team, there’s just no way that a deal will get done here.
6. Could the Utah Jazz deal with the Washington Wizards?
The Washington Wizards recently locked up Bradley Beal to a long-term extension, so it makes sense that they would want to shift their focus to competing in the very near future. While that’s a good idea, and the Wizards may have a few draft picks, they just don’t have a combination of young players they’re willing to deal and a haul of draft picks similar to the one that Utah got for Rudy Gobert. That haul may not be the norm in the NBA, and the Jazz might not even get that haul for Donovan Mitchell, but after they did it once in the off-season, there’s no doubting that Danny Ainge wants to do it again.
With Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma and some decent young pieces, the Wizards can no doubt chase a play-in spot in 2022, but it seems that getting Mitchell and taking the next step in the Eastern Conference might not be two things the team can do in one off-season. If the Wizards are able to get a second and potentially third team involved, then they may be able to pair Beal and Mitchell together, which would give this team one of the best scoring duos in the game, but it would need to be part of a longer build, and wouldn’t make them immediate contenders in 2022/23.
Ultimately, the Wizards have very little chance of landing Donovan Mitchell, but there’s still a chance that if the Knicks negotiations drag out long enough, the Wizards may be able to swoop.
5. Could the Utah Jazz deal with the Charlotte Hornets?
The Charlotte Hornets have found themselves a star and franchise cornerstone in Lamelo Ball, and it seems that the MJ-led organization is going to try their best to pair him with another young star. The Miles Bridges drama makes their situation even more murky, as it seems that Melo will be without his running mate indefinitely (and deservedly so), so getting an elite level scorer to pair with the most talented Ball brother would be a great deal for Charlotte.
Beyond James Bouknight, there doesn’t seem to be any young talent on this roster that Utah could want, so combining a veteran and some picks with a third team could help Utah get interested, as Bouknight has great potential as a scorer going forward. This team however has other needs, so seeing them included in the teams interested in Spida was a shock, as dealing with Gordon Hayward’s contract and a replacement for Bridges should be much more pressing issues right now.
At this point in time, Lamelo is going seemingly have to go it alone in terms of young stars on this team, and if he can continue to get better and make people around him better, it’s only a matter of time until other stars are wanting to come to Charlotte to play with him.
4. Could the Utah Jazz deal with the Toronto Raptors?
The Toronto Raptors have seemingly been linked to all the big stars via trade this off-season, and while Kevin Durant has been their main focus, they haven’t been ignoring the Donovan Mitchell situation. Toronto has a fantastic young core already, led by Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, but the addition of Mitchell at the right price could again turn the Raptors into a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference.
Their understandable unwillingness to include Barnes in a deal is seemingly holding back their ability to land KD, and that will likely play a huge role in any deal with the Jazz too. Utah haven’t shown a desire to go after a top name rookie or young player, but given the Raptors lack of picks compared to other interested parties, that’s where a deal would need to start.
It’s hard to see a deal getting done here, as Utah have other offers of more picks/young players, but if Toronto believe a Siakam/Anunoby/Mitchell trio makes them better right now and into the future, then a deal could be done in the incredibly unlikely scenario that Barnes somehow becomes involved.
3. Could the Utah Jazz deal with the Sacramento Kings?
The Sacramento Kings have failed to built through the draft time and time again, but after adding Damontas Sabonis and Keegan Murray to pair with DeAaron Fox, things may finally be looking up. A scorer like Donovan Mitchell could change the entire outlook of a franchise like Sacramento, and if they managed to somehow keep the three players mentioned above and add Spida, you could be looking at a playoff dark horse in 2022/23.
Unfortunately, Utah will likely want Davion Mitchell, Keegan Murray, another young player or two, plus the majority of the Kings first-round picks going forward, and more likely than if not, the Kings will want to keep potentially building the way they are right now.
If the Kings decide to go all-in on a trio of Mitchell/Sabonis/Fox, they will definitely be players in the Mitchell sweepstakes, but if they want to build for the future and acquire teh Jazz superstar, they may find themselves outbid by a team with more draft capital. Either way, don’t count the Kings out in this race, as they could offer some talented young players and picks, or else it just may help the Jazz drive up the price on other offers.
2. Could the Utah Jazz deal with the Miami Heat?
The Miami Heat have been involved in the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes from the beginning, and while they’ve been considered No. 2 behind the Knicks in terms of odds, they remain there to this day. A package of Tyler Herro, Max Strus, Nikola Jovic and three first-round picks is promising, but the Heat may need to get another team involved if they truly wish to make it work.
A trio of Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Donovan Mitchell could be a true threat in the East, as an elite scorer like Mitchell next to Butler could have been the thing that pushed the Heat over the Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals. Miami are also a team pursuing Kevin Durant, but ultimately, given the contract extension that Tyler Herro will be up for, and the atrocious contract of Duncan Robinson, it’s hard to see the Heat landing any A-level stars.
Miami could still look to Utah for the likes of Jordan Clarkson or Bojan Bogdanovic, and while they’re certainly in the race for Mitchell, they’ll need to get very creative to be the team that finally lands his signature.
1. Will the Utah Jazz deal with the New York Knicks?
The New York Knicks have been the overwhelming favourites for Donovan Mitchell’s services since the trade rumours began, and even with all the interest from these new teams, they rightfully remain the favourites to land the trade of their dreams. At this point, the Knicks have the best potential offer, with eight first round picks to trade over the next few years, and while trade rumours have been swirling around these teams for a week now, they haven’t come to an agreement, likely due to the Knicks unwillingness to include some of their bigger name young stars.
The Knicks are trying to be patient, as Ainge’s asking price is way too high on picks (a reported eight draft picks was his original desire), but ultimately, it seems that no one can match New York’s offer, and in time, the front office in New York are hoping that Danny Ainge will see that. The stars seem to be aligning here, and if the Jazz can get three young players and five or six first-round draft picks in return, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be happy with such a great launching pad for their latest rebuild.
It seems that it’s just a matter of time before a deal gets done here, as even five draft picks blows any other offer out of the water, and if the Knicks become willing to include rising star Quentin Grimes in a package, Utah will undoubtedly move on a deal to send Donovan Mitchell home.