The Utah Jazz looks like a team that will be making a blockbuster trade this NBA offseason. Something has to give after yet another disappointing performance in the postseason, losing their first-round series to the Dallas Mavericks.
Losing in the first round as the No. 5 seed isn’t a huge surprise, but the Jazz was set up perfectly to win. The Mavericks played the first three games of the series without Luka Doncic, yet Dallas still jumped out to a 2-1 lead.
It was the second consecutive postseason that Utah was unable to take advantage of a star player being sidelined for their opponent. In 2021, the Jazz was tied 2-2 in the second round against the LA Clippers when Kawhi Leonard injured his knee. They proceeded to lose the next two games, including a meltdown in Game 6 when they blew a 25-point lead in the second half.
Recently, center Rudy Gobert reportedly gave the organization an ultimatum, saying it was either him or Donovan Mitchell that had to go. While Utah would likely prefer to keep Mitchell, he is the one that is more likely to request a trade out of town.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Miami Heat ‘Closely Monitoring’ Potential Donovan Mitchell Trade
The New York Knicks are one team that has been mentioned a lot as a landing spot for Mitchell. He is from the area and his father, Donovan Mitchell Sr., pitched for and now works for the New York Mets. Rick Pitino, who was head coach at Louisville when Mitchell played there, pushed the Knicks to select him in the 2017 NBA Draft, but they instead went with Frank Ntilikina.
But, the Knicks aren’t the only team that has been linked to Mitchell. Sources close to the situation have said that the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are two more teams that would interest Mitchell as trade destinations.
In Atlanta, he would combine with Trae Young to make one of the most dynamic scoring backcourts in the league for the Hawks. He would take a lot of pressure off of Young, who is the sole initiator offensively for the team with the ball in his hands constantly. Defensively, an already weak unit would likely bleed even more points with the undersized duo of Young and Mitchell.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Miami Heat ‘Closely Monitoring’ Potential Donovan Mitchell Trade
The Miami Heat would make for an intriguing landing spot for Mitchell. If he wants to compete for a title as soon as possible, South Beach is where he should push to land. Pat Riley does whatever it takes to put the team in a position to win the NBA Championship.
Donovan Mitchell is only 6’1”, but possesses a 6’10” wingspan that should make him a menace defensively. He would fit in well with Heat Culture, but figuring out a trade package that could entice the Utah Jazz is difficult as it would likely include Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro as the centerpieces.
