Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
In the aftermath of the Rudy Gobert trade, the Utah Jazz are seemingly on the verge of a major rebuild. Without Gobert’s presence (especially defensively) there’s only so far the Jazz will be able to go in the highly competitive Western Conference, and many believe they’d be better off starting over completely.
So, just like his former teammate, Donovan Mitchell has been mixed up in all kinds of trade rumors lately, and fans are expecting him to be dealt sooner rather than later.
But in an article by Tony Jones of The Athletic, Utah might still keep Mitchell around for the foreseeable future.
Why the hard line for Mitchell from the Jazz?
This is the simple part: They know Mitchell is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league. They know that finding someone who can score 25 points a night, to go along with five assists and five rebounds is not easy. Mitchell will turn 26 years old in September but has not reached the prime of his career. They know that they received enough assets in trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves — four first-round picks with three completely unprotected — that they are in a position to retool around Mitchell on the fly. And maybe most importantly, Mitchell has three years remaining on his current deal. So, settling for a trade that they deem to be 90 cents on the dollar or lower, is something that the Jazz are determined not to do.
Despite his flaws, Mitchell is still a guy who can help the Jazz build towards a better future. Over his five-year career, Mitchell averaged 25.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game on 44.8% shooting.
If he can improve on those marks, and show some leaps on the defensive side of the ball, he could be a key player in the next phase of Utah’s basketball future.
For now, his name will continue to carry speculation.
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