The Utah Jazz have yet to make a move in this offseason, and the rumors about Donovan Mitchell’s future after the trade of Rudy Gobert still surfacing here and there. In any case, there is no notion Utah could be moving its other superstar anytime soon.
CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge is not sure Donovan Mitchell could be the team’s franchise cornerstone (via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). However, the Jazz publicly indicating that the star guard isn’t “untouchable” in trade talks, the rumors will likely only continue to grow.
Mitchell has four years remaining and $135 million of his current contract, which includes a player option for the final season. Mitchell is coming off a solid regular season that saw him average 25.9 points and 5.3 assists per game.
The Jazz might have already decided to trade Mitchell, but, they have not received an offer with a remarkable return for the All-Star guard. Moreover, Utah might be waiting to what kind of trades Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will be involved and what will be the compensation for them.
Putting together a trade package for an elite player who’s still in the prime of their career as Mitchell is won’t be easy. The Jazz will likely have to command a more lucrative package for their star guard after the Rudy Gobert trade.
In any case, Utah acquired five players and four first-round picks as part of the deal with Minnesota. It’s pretty obvious the Utah are going to get younger and become more flexible financially to either retool around their star or start a full-fledged rebuild.
