Donovan Mitchell

Jazz Rumors: 'Several Teams' View Donovan Mitchell as Available ...

Bleacher Report • 

Woj Reveals the Utah Jazz’s Plan for Donovan Mitchell Following the Rudy Gobert Trade

Just about 24 hours after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst cryptically warned the NBA world to watch “What’s going on in Utah,” the Utah Jazz made a blockbuster trade. The team sent center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a massive package of picks, prospects, and contract filler. Now the NBA universe is left wondering, what’s going on with Donovan Mitchell? And Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski seemingly has the answer.

The relationship between Utah Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert has been bad for a long time now. The ceiling of a team built around the duo has also seemingly been established.

The Jazz have made the playoffs six-straight seasons with three first-round and three second-round exits.

During the 2022 offseason, longtime head coach Quin Snyder stepped down, and new front office executive Danny Ainge hired first-time NBA head coach Will Hardy. Ainge then handed Hardy a surprisingly long five-year contract.

Jazz Rumors: 'Several Teams' View Donovan Mitchell as Available After Gobert Trade

The Utah Jazz might intend to keep Donovan Mitchell as a centerpiece of the franchise, but that may not stop rival teams from making a run at the three-time All-Star.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday the Jazz are trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ian Begley of SNY followed up to report "several teams still view Mitchell as attainable for the right return."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst also said on NBA Today some executives outside of Utah "think it would be abnormal for Donovan not to want out." He added teams are "revving up the possibility of calling Utah and seeing what it's gonna take to get [Mitchell]."

Given how their relationship soured, Mitchell may not be heartbroken to see Gobert go. The return for the star center may not leave him feeling encouraged, though. He was already "surprised and disappointed" with the departure of head coach Quin Snyder, according to Wojnarowski.

Utah did great to get Minnesota's unprotected first-round picks in 2023, 2025 and 2027 and a top-five protected first-rounder in 2029, per Wojnarowski, but Mitchell won't really care about draft picks too much.

Swapping Gobert for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro and 2022 first-rounder Walker Kessler doesn't help much in the short term, either.

The Gobert deal also came one day after Utah shipped Royce O'Neale to the Brooklyn Nets for a 2023 first-round selection.

Given all of the draft assets they've accumulated, general manager Justin Zanik and CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge might be ready to blow it all up. With what the team got for Gobert, imagine the kind of haul Mitchell could command.