With Rudy Gobert’s exit still fresh in the minds of fans, eyes have turned towards young stud Donovan Mitchell, who is rumored to be the next to go in Utah’s ongoing rebuild.
While the Jazz have yet to find a suitable trade for the backcourt star, franchise CEO Danny Ainge has reportedly lost faith that Mitch can be the face of a title-contending team.
“The whispers around the league are that Danny Ainge is not convinced that Donovan Mitchell can be the face of a contending franchise,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said during a recent appearance on The Hoops Collective.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon: “The whispers around the league are that Danny Ainge is not convinced that Donovan Mitchell can be the face of a contending franchise.” https://t.co/jW44y6Hg0L
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 11, 2022
So, it seems that the Jazz are split on the potential of Mitchell, which means his future is anything but certain. At 25 years old, he can still be a guy to build around for the future.
But until his trade value starts improving, the Jazz might just keep him around.
“Still, there are signs that the Jazz would prefer to keep Mitchell,” reported Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.” After the Gobert trade, a league source told The Tribune that more than a handful of teams called the Jazz to inquire about the availability of Mitchell — and the Jazz’s front office shut them all down. Those conversations, the Jazz felt, were league executives trying to pounce on a perceived opportunity to trade for Mitchell cheaply.”
The Rudy Gobert/Donovan Mitchell era put the Jazz in a position to succeed. Year after year, they finished near the top of the standings only to fall short in the playoffs.
Gobert is gone now, and questions are starting to circulate about Mitchell and who he is as a leader and player on the basketball court. Until those questions get answered, he may be stuck wearing a Jazz jersey for the foreseeable future.
