The trade market for NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell is going to heat up in the coming days and weeks. With the Brooklyn Nets no longer fielding trade offers for Kevin Durant after the two sides agreed to continue their partnership, all attention will turn to Mitchell and the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz have a very high asking price for Mitchell, which isn’t too surprising. 25-year-old, three-time All-Stars rarely come available on the trade market so Utah wants to receive as much as possible in return. However, they are victims of their own success.
In their blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves centered around Rudy Gobert, the Jazz received five players, four first-round picks and one pick swap. Only one of the first-round picks is protected and it is only top-five in 2029.
They are seeking to at least match, if not exceed that kind of package in a trade centered around Mitchell. However, packages of that caliber have not yet come their way. It is anyone’s guess if a team will blink and go all-in, but it is more likely that Utah will have to adjust their asking price, especially if they want to achieve a deal within their timeline.
According to Brian Windhorst on his podcast with ESPN’s Tim McMahon as a guest, it was revealed that the Jazz are looking to make a deal as soon as possible.
“[Tim] MacMahon, you said I believe last week that you thought that the Jazz would make a Donovan Mitchell trade before the [regular season] opener. And it sounds to me in talking to people around the league that the Jazz want to try to go even sooner than that. They want to go before training camp.”
“Of course,” said MacMahon.
That is certainly a change of tune, as for weeks, it has been reported that the Jazz are okay holding onto Mitchell into the regular season. That no longer seems to be the case, as Utah is looking to enter a rebuild and be in the running for a top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson are the crown jewels of the draft class and look like they will be the top two selections. As long as Mitchell is on their roster, the Jazz won’t be serious contenders to finish that high in the draft as they will win too many games.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Utah Jazz, New York Knicks & Donovan Mitchell Updates
At this point, they are just looking to squeeze as much as they can out of these negotiations. All signs point to the New York Knicks still being the favorites to land him.
“It does sound as I talk to folks in the league that the Jazz are trying to apply the gas here. To try to juice the offer, especially juice the offer from the New York Knicks.”
That likely explains wanting to move Mitchell as soon as possible, as the deals likely aren’t going to improve once the season gets underway. By that point, teams will be focused on preparing for the regular season, not trying to outbid another team in a blockbuster trade.
More NBA News & Trade Rumors: Utah Jazz & New York Knicks
- NBA Insider Reveals Knicks’ Donovan Mitchell Trade Offer
- Jazz Have Non-Knicks Trade Offers They ‘Like A Lot’
For the latest surrounding Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks, check out our NBA news and trade rumors feed.
