Just like several other franchises around the league, the Utah Jazz enter an offseason with various questions to answer. After finishing the 2020/21 regular season with the league-best record, the Jazz couldn’t get past the Los Angeles Clippers, even after taking a 2-0 lead in the second round of the playoffs.
This elimination unchained a series of events that finished with the team making some changes in the front office. Although that drama seems to be over now, the Jazz could face a bigger one now that their superstar is reportedly unsure about his long-term commitment to the franchise.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, co-owner Dwyane Wade is concerned about Donovan Mitchell’s desire to stay with the team for the long haul.
Via HoopsHype:
Executives out there and and teams out there that are in the hunt for star players, they have Damian Lillard ‘s name on the board, sort of high up. And then maybe down, not high on the board, but down on the sort of middle right side of the board… They have Donovan Mitchell.
One of the big reasons why Ryan Smith brought in Dwayne Wade, and yes, Dwyane bought into the team, but I will promise you, he got a very favorable price. (…) I think he got a very sweetheart deal. One of the reasons he did it was Ryan Smith wanted to have Donovan Mitchell stay in Utah for the long-term.
Dwyane Wade, who (Ryan Smith) brought in to be a co-owner but also be an advisor, is seriously concerned about Donovan Mitchell’s desire to stay (in Utah) long-term.
This is the last thing Jazz fans wanted to hear right now. Mitchell is their superstar, the one expected to take them to the promised land and losing him would be very hard for this team.
Although they couldn’t do the job this year, they are built to compete for the championship. Nevertheless, without Mitchell on the roster, those plans collapse. Rudy Gobert won’t be the No. 1 option for this team and it’s hard for a small-market team like the Jazz to find another star like Mitchell shortly.
His relationship with Wade is excellent, so the Miami Heat legend could persuade him to keep focused on winning with this team. If rumors are to believe, this is terrible news for the Jazz. Still, they’re not the only ones with pressure to keep their franchise player.
