The Utah Jazz has thus far operated as an NBA team preparing to head into a rebuilding stage. They traded Royce O’Neale to the Brooklyn Nets for a 2023 first-round pick and then made a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, sending Rudy Gobert to the Twin Cities for a package of five players, four first-round draft picks and a pick swap.
Attention quickly turned to Donovan Mitchell after that. Teams inquired about making a trade for him, which the Jazz was turning down. They felt teams were attempting to pounce on Mitchell at a cheap price following the Gobert deal.
Utah was presenting things as if they planned to rebuild the roster around Mitchell as the centerpiece of the roster. However, it was reported that Danny Ainge, who now has a major role in the front office, didn’t view Mitchell as a player good enough to be the guy on a contending team.
Now, it sounds like the Jazz is open to the idea of trading Mitchell as they are taking calls and listening to them instead of turning them down instantly. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN shared the update.
After the Utah Jazz earlier shut down inquiries about All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, rival teams say they are now showing a willingness to listen on possible trade scenarios, sources tell ESPN on Tuesday.
The asking price appears to be steep, but in the wake of Utah’s recent Rudy Gobert blockbuster deal to Minnesota, the Jazz are no longer simply dismissing calls on Mitchell, sources said.
News on Mitchell has been all over the place, but this is the right route for Utah to take. They have moved on from two key parts of their rotation in Gobert and O’Neale, who were also their two best defenders. The Jazz would certainly be taking a step back without them on the court this season, but they are set up well for the future.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Utah Jazz Must Get Ahead Of Donovan Mitchell Situation Using Trade
There is still a chance that Utah uses some of the assets they acquired from Minnesota to bring in another established player alongside Mitchell. However, general manager Justin Zanik certainly left the door open to Mitchell being part of a trade.
“Change is inevitable in the NBA,” Zanik said. “I’m not trying to be cryptic or anything else, but Donovan is on our roster and he’s a very, very important part of what we’re trying to do. Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is [untouchable]. We’re trying to build a championship team, but there’s no intent [to trade Mitchell], at all.”
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Utah Jazz Must Get Ahead Of Donovan Mitchell Situation Using Trade
Once the dust settles on the situation in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Jazz and Mitchell could take center stage of the NBA rumor mill. While not on the same level as Durant, Mitchell is a 25-year-old three-time All-Star that has helped lead the Jazz to the postseason every season of his career.
