Small market teams are always at a severe disadvantage when it comes to keeping their stars. Guys like Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bradley Beal are constantly being connected to higher-market teams and can seemingly never avoid talks about them jumping ship.
Recently, even Donovan Mitchell has experienced that reality, as one recent report suggested he could seek to leave the Jazz for a bigger market franchise like the Heat.
I believe this is well documented & relatively obvious but… I can confirm that if Donovan Mitchell were to ever ask out of Utah, it’s believed Miami would be his first choice and New York a more distant second as preferred destinations according to a league source.
All of this comes in the aftermath of a major losing streak for Utah, who are still looking to make amends for their playoff failures a year ago.
Despite the concerning play of his squad, Mitch expressed nothing but loyalty in his recent chat with the media, flaming reporters for spreading a false narrative about his future.
“Y’all like to talk a lot when we lose. I don’t understand,” Mitchell stated. “Y’all like to just keep all the negative stuff when we start losing, when we’re winning there’s nothing said.”We’ve got to go, we’re trying to win a championship, so I just cut you off and answer that right there, that’s the goal and we’re not going to stop until we do. We have a great group of guys and this stretch doesn’t dictate who we are as a team.”
Asked about the Brian Windhorst report about him wanting to play in a bigger market, Donovan Mitchell cuts off the question, notes that in his mind, all the questions he gets when the team is losing are negative, and says it's simple: "We're trying to win a championship."
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) January 15, 2022
With Mitchell and Gobert, the Jazz have a core capable of competing against anyone in the league. But after repeated failures in the postseason, there is significant doubt that Utah is actually a threat for the title.
That doubt will remain until the team can prove they can win when it matters most.
In the meantime, Mitchell will keep the fight going and focus on helping his squad win. While the years ahead remain uncertain, the young star knows what he wants and he’s got his eyes squarely on the prize.
