Thursday marked the official end of an era for the Utah Jazz. After trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this NBA offseason, they have finalized a deal centered around Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell was surprisingly traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday after weeks of trade talks. The Jazz will be receiving Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji, unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 and pick swaps in 2026 and 2028.
It is an all-in move for both franchises. The Cavaliers are in a position to become contenders in the Eastern Conference with Mitchell joining a lineup that already includes two All-Stars in Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. Evan Mobley, the Rookie of the Year runner-up is also a strong building block.
For the Jazz, they are all-in on the rebuild. They have acquired eight unprotected or lightly protected first-round picks and three pick swaps. More should be heading their way in the coming weeks as they are open for business when it comes to the other veterans on the roster.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Utah Jazz & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
One of those veterans that will likely be on the move is Bojan Bogdanovic. The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that has shown interest in acquiring the high-scoring forward and one NBA executive sees the two teams as likely trade partners.
“The Jazz are clearly motivated to add as many future draft assets as they can, based on their trade returns for Gobert and Mitchell. The Lakers are facing the most pressure to win now and to move an expiring contract for win-now players. They’re natural trade partners. There’s been more buzz around Bogdanovic ending up there. I think that’s where a trade package would start.”
This would be the second trade this offseason that the Lakers and Jazz would be making. Los Angeles already acquired Patrick Beverley from them in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Utah Jazz & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Russell Westbrook and his $47 million expiring deal are the presumed target for Utah. To make a deal work centered around Bogdanovic, the Jazz will have to send at least one more piece back to the Lakers. But don’t expect Mike Conley Jr. to be the player heading out of town alongside Bogdanovic.
“Since it sounds like the Jazz want to keep Conley around to have a vet for their young guys, they could throw in Beasley with Clarkson in the trade instead perhaps. Utah would probably get a buyout done with Westbrook pretty quickly, or send him home like the Rockets did with John Wall.”
This will be something to keep an eye on in the coming days. As the executive stated, the Lakers are under immense pressure to improve the roster and start winning games again this season. Making another deal with the Jazz, even if it requires a first-round pick, would certainly help them achieve that.
