How This Deal Impacts Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz has to make a move sooner than later. Rudy Gobert made some stinging comments about the team recently not being on the same level, specifically defensively, as the teams, they are chasing in the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.
While they do not want to trade Donovan Mitchell, as he is the face of the franchise, they may want to get ahead of things. Usually, when there is smoke, there is fire, and it has been revealed that should he request a trade, Mitchell wants to land with the Miami Heat or New York Knicks.
If they do move Mitchell, they will want an impact player in return. Utah likely doesn’t want to rebuild, so this package with the Philadelphia 76ers would help keep them competitive.
Ben Simmons is the high-level defender that the team is seeking. They are hoping to land someone that can help them on that end of the court for their starting five. While they would prefer to put that person alongside Mitchell, he would have to be included to land a player of Simmons’ caliber.
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Along with Simmons, the Jazz would be getting Tobias Harris, who would help replace some of the offensive punch that they would be losing with Mitchel on the move. The Jazz frontcourt does not have many scoring threats that can create offense for themselves and Harris would change that.
Trading Mitchell seems unlikely, especially right now, but the team’s ceiling would arguably be higher with a player of the skill set that Simmons possesses compared to one that Mitchell brings to the table.