After initially denying it, the Utah Jazz finally had to come to terms with the fact they are going to have to rebuild. So that means, another top player needs to be traded.
The Jazz previously traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves as they embark on a rebuild. The Utah Jazz are now expressing a willingness to listen to trade offers on Donovan Mitchell.
The Athletic’s Tony Jones followed up on that report by noting that the New York Knicks are expected to be one of the most aggressive suitors for Mitchell:
The Knicks may be forced to give up RJ Barrett, who averaged a career-high 20.0 points per game during his third season. The Knicks also have seven first-round picks in the next three drafts.
Mitchell signed a designated rookie max extension in 2020 and has four years remaining on his contract with the final season as a player option.
Jones added that the Jazz are “currently not close” to trading Mitchell, and they’ll keep him if nobody meets their high demands.
Any such deal won’t come cheap for the Knicks, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that “the asking price appears to be steep, but in the wake of Utah’s recent Rudy Gobert blockbuster deal to Minnesota, the Jazz are no longer simply dismissing calls on Mitchell, sources said.”
The Jazz recently landed Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 No. 22 overall pick Walker Kessler, three unprotected picks (2023, 2025, and 2027), and a top-five-protected pick in 2029 from Minnesota for Gobert.
The package for Mitchell, who is 5 years younger, is expected to be even better.
