It appears Kevin Durant isn’t the only NBA superstar who is available for trade as we near the start of August.
The Jazz might have the phone lines open as it relates to Donovan Mitchell. Utah already traded away a now-former franchise cornerstone in Rudy Gobert and a Mitchell blockbuster would further help the organization accelerate its rebuild.
Mitchell figures to be a highly sought after player. The Louisville product was named an All-Star in each of the last three seasons, is under contract for the next four years and doesn’t turn 26 until September. All of these factors and more prompt a robust trade market, which The Athletic’s Shams Charania shed light on in a column published Monday.
“Along with New York, several other teams have expressed interest to the Jazz when it comes to Mitchell, such as Washington, Miami, Toronto, Charlotte, Sacramento and Atlanta, according to sources,” Charania wrote.
Like Brooklyn, the Jazz have held firm on setting a high bar on any potential Mitchell deal, and they expect to be patient throughout the process. For now, the Jazz will continue to evaluate incoming calls and seek ways to balance their roster.”
It should be noted that both the Heat and the Raptors were identified by Charania as Durant suitors in the very same column.
The Jazz shouldn’t be in any rush to trade Mitchell, as NBA teams typically don’t stop wheeling and dealing in the offseason until late September. But it doesn’t make much sense for Utah to roster Mitchell at this point, so don’t be surprised if the sixth-year pro is wearing a new uniform come October.
