After four NBA seasons of failing to improve upon their shocking Western Conference Semifinals appearance led by a rookie Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz have finally decided to break up their superstar tandem, having traded former Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a massive haul.
In return for the Stifle Tower, the Jazz received defensive stalwart Jarred Vanderbilt, veteran nuisance Patrick Beverly, Malik Beasley, Leandro Bolmaro, rookie big man Walker Kessler, three unprotected first-round picks, and two potential pick swaps.
That package makes for a healthy start to their rebuild and trading Donovan Mitchell away too should give the Jazz one of the brightest futures in the league. It’s been reported, however, that President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge intends on retooling around Spida rather than resetting the roster entirely.
This makes perfect sense given Ainge’s history, as he was able to build a contender around Paul Pierce with the Boston Celtics, who was viewed in a similar light to Mitchell before Ainge traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to build a contender around him.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Miami Heat More Likely To Trade For Utah Jazz Star Donovan Mitchell Than New York Knicks?
Equipped with all of the draft capital that he received in return for Gobert, Ainge is certain that he can build a title team around Mitchell the same way he did for Pierce. This would be a mistake, however.
Already turning 26 next season, Mitchell is nearing his prime years and the Jazz are far from a contender. Although Utah did receive a sizable return in exchange for Gobert’s defensive prowess, the draft picks they obtained are likely to land in the 20s, making it pretty unlikely that the Jazz can acquire additional stars to support Spida in the draft.
Ainge can wait to see if he can obtain other stars via trade like he did with the Celtics, but other teams have gotten a lot wiser since he landed two stars in the same summer. Utah is also a small-market team that’s unlikely to attract any superstars via free agency.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: Miami Heat More Likely To Trade For Utah Jazz Star Donovan Mitchell Than New York Knicks?
The most surefire way for him to build a contender with the Utah Jazz is to try to hit on multiple draft picks to raise a core that Ainge can keep in Utah using their Bird Rights. Trading Donovan Mitchell would only aid in that pursuit, as the former Louisville Cardinal is certain to command a hefty return in draft compensation.
Whether it’s the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, or a different trade suitor, a team aiming to contend immediately will be interested in acquiring him for a haul. The Knicks and Heat have often been linked as being potential trade suitors waiting for the opportunity to make a deal.
