It seems Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are going nowhere. The Brooklyn Nets have decided to give it another go with their superstar. There has been a lot of talk about it after the announcement on Tuesday, but for all intents and purposes, the saga seems to have come to an end. This means that a lot of teams that were interested in KD now have no shot at landing the superstar.
This means that the attention now shifts to the other major star left in the market, Donovan Mitchell. Unlike the Nets, the Utah Jazz have already pulled the trigger and traded Mitchell’s co-star, and Donovan is unlikely to want to stick around for a rebuild. In any case, radio show host John Gambadoro provided insight into the market for Mitchell as things stand.
Couple things on Donovan Mitchell. The Hawks, Heat & Kings are NOT interested contrary to reports. Knicks still have the best package to offer but other teams interested are Cleveland, Washington, Charlotte, LA Lakers & Brooklyn. And no the Jazz never asked for 7 1st round picks!
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) August 23, 2022
“Couple things on Donovan Mitchell. The Hawks, Heat & Kings are NOT interested contrary to reports. Knicks still have the best package to offer but other teams interested are Cleveland, Washington, Charlotte, LA Lakers & Brooklyn. And no, the Jazz never asked for 7 1st round picks!”
The name that stands out among these teams is the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were very obviously interested in swinging a trade for Kyrie Irving, but Durant’s decision seems to have put a stop to that. So with that in mind, it would make sense for the Purple and Gold to get Mitchell if they can swing a trade for him.
This is easier said than done. It will take a lot more to get Mitchell than it would have to land Irving. The Lakers have two first-rounds to play with, as well as Russell Westbrook’s contract, and not too many assets outside of that. However, the Lakers are also a franchise that can make crazy things happen, and now they have possibly become someone to keep an eye on in the Mitchell sweepstakes.
