Donovan Mitchell still wants out of Cleveland, and that's good for the Utah Jazz

As the Utah Jazz exit the All-Star break with 26 games remaining on the slate, news about one of their former stars has come back around, in a way that could benefit the Jazz as early as the 2025 NBA Draft.

Donovan Mitchell, who the Jazz traded away to the Cleveland Cavaliers in September 2022, apparently is still looking to leave Cleveland, according to Patrick Byrne of Sports Illustrated and Howard Beck of the Ringer.

According to the quoted sources, Mitchell would likely balk at a contract extension with the Cavaliers. Presumably so he could enter free agency in the summer of 2025 and maximize his earning power on his next deal. His preferred teams in trade rumors still include the Knicks, Nets, and Heat.

Such a stance from Mitchell would certainly force the Cavaliers to move him before the 2024-25 season, rather than take the risk of losing him for nothing in the summer of 2025. The team currently has no control over their draft picks from 2025-2029 due to trading for Mitchell.

The Jazz would benefit directly from Cleveland losing Mitchell before the 2024-25 season, as the Cavaliers would surely drop from a 50+ win team down closer to the play-in level, or the lottery if things get really bad for them.

Even if Cleveland's 2025 first-round pick doesn't land in the Top 10, the 2026-2029 picks have a much better outlook for the Jazz in the wake of Mitchell exiting Cleveland, if it happens. Just the kind of shrewd trading and lottery luck Danny Ainge has lived on in his years running NBA teams.