Utah Jazz Receive: F OG Anunoby, G Gary Trent Jr.
Toronto Raptors Rreceive: G Donovan Mitchell
Sometimes, the most elegant solution is a simple one.
This deal doesn’t require a third team. It doesn’t see any first-round picks exchange hands, so there’s no need to debate over the endless potential combinations of protections. The Toronto Raptors would simply be trading two quality young players for one young star.
Mitchell’s presence on this squad would render Trent Jr. expendable. The 23-year-old guard is having a stellar season, averaging 18.2 points per game while shooting 38.1% on 7.8 three-point attempts per game. He’s also coming up with 1.8 steals per contest, proving himself to be a high-end defensive guard who knows when to play passing lanes and when to stay home on his man.
He’s still not nearly the shot creator or primary playmaker that Donovan Mitchell. Losing Trent Jr. shouldn’t sting when you’re replacing him with a better player. Losing Anunoby, on the other hand, hurts.
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It may still be worth the Raptors’ time. Anunoby is one of the premier 3-and-D wings in the NBA, but the Raptors could look to free agency to replace a portion of his production at cost.
They also already roster Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes. While they’re slightly different players from Anunoby, the Raptors may decide to consolidate from a pool of defensive, playmaking wings and add a marquee scoring guard.
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If they do decide that Anunoby is too valuable to their cause to part with, there may be another avenue towards acquiring Mitchell.
