The Utah Jazz have made two surprising trades thus far this NBA offseason. Right before free agency got underway, they traded Royce O’Neale to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick.
A few days later, they completed a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rudy Gobert is heading to Minnesota in exchange for five players and four draft picks. Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro and Walker Kessler are all heading to Salt Lake City along with first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029. There is a pick swap in 2026 and the 2029 pick is top-five protected.
That is quite a haul, even for a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. It also leads to people asking, what exactly is the Jazz’s plan? Brian Windhorst captivated the audience when he made an appearance on ESPN before free agency discussing the O’Neale trade.
He was correct when he insinuated that bigger trades were on the horizon, as Gobert was traded soon after. Is Utah now done?
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executives See Donovan Mitchell Trade Request From Utah Jazz Coming
While they have said that they plan to rebuild the roster around Donovan Mitchell with the assets they have acquired, ownership reportedly isn’t sold on Mitchell staying long-term.
“There are whispers Mitchell doesn’t want to play in Utah anymore. He wants to go somewhere else. Nobody on the outside knows whether this is true. Donovan has not directly commented on the matter. Dwyane Wade is concerned Mitchell wants to play elsewhere”
Alas, those worries could be for nothing, at least for now. Windhorst is reporting that Mitchell isn’t going anywhere right now, and won’t request a trade.
It doesn’t seem like Utah is worried about how things are going to go right now, but into the future. Mitchell has always seemed like more of a flight risk than Gobert was and that a trade request could come down at any time.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executives See Donovan Mitchell Trade Request From Utah Jazz Coming
For now, he seems bought into the plan that the front office is putting together. But, if they struggle during the season or suffer another defeat early in the postseason, Mitchell’s tune could change.
