The Utah Jazz haven’t outright said it, but they look like a franchise that is heading toward a rebuild. The trades that they completed earlier in the NBA offseason, trading away Royce O’Neale and Rudy Gobert, were both focused on draft pick compensation, as they received a combined five first-round picks.
They are looking to acquire at least that many in a return package for Donovan Mitchell. After originally planning to rebuild the roster around him, the Jazz are now taking calls on the three-time All-Star as they are staring down the barrel of a full rebuild.
For a while, a lot of the focus when it came to a potential Mitchell trade was focused on the New York Knicks. It made sense, as New York has the assets to build the kind of trade package that the Jazz are seeking. With eight tradable first-round picks and young players such as Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes, the Knicks can build a competitive package for any player in the league.
Right now, they would seem to be fully aware of that as trade talks with the Jazz have gone pretty slow. New York doesn’t want to give away all of its pieces, while Utah wants to get as much as it can.
That has led to them re-canvasing the league, and it is being reported now that there are plenty of more teams interested in Mitchell beyond just the Knicks. According to The Athletic, the Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks have all expressed interest in Mitchell.
If anything, that seems like a convenient leak by the Jazz to try and push up the Knicks trade offer. None of those teams can come close to matching the offer that New York can put on the table. Out of the teams mentioned, the Heat could pose the biggest threat, but they are more focused on Kevin Durant than Mitchell at the moment. The Raptors have been mentioned as more of a suitor for Durant as well.
It is hard to imagine Atlanta being a realistic landing spot after acquiring Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs. The Kings already overhauled their shooting guard position this offseason and the Wizards signed Bradley Beal to a supermax to man the position on their team.
Likely without Miles Bridges, the Charlotte Hornets could use an infusion of talent such as Mitchell. But, unless they can convince the Jazz to take on some salary or find a third team willing to do it, they won’t be a legitimate threat to making a deal.
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