Donovan Mitchell is a top-tier shooting guard in the NBA. He is well-known for being the face of the Utah Jazz franchise, and he has previously shown that he can be a top-tier playoff performer and produce on high volume. Last season, Donovan Mitchell averaged 25.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 5.3 APG for the Jazz.
There is no doubt that Donovan Mitchell is often linked to other teams, and that is no different this offseason. Donovan Mitchell has frequently been connected with the Miami Heat, and it was reported that the Heat would be “aggressive” in pursuing Mitchell if their Kevin Durant bid fails.
FWIW: I’m hearing some pushback regarding the idea that the Jazz are definitely keeping Donovan Mitchell moving forward. Sense is that the Jazz are keeping their options open here: they could retool around Mitchell, or trade him for a massive haul to jumpstart a rebuild.
In particular, watch Miami. Obviously, Kevin Durant is their No. 1 target, but if that doesn’t work out, they have been and will continue to be aggressive re: Mitchell.
Recently, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune revealed that the Miami Heat actually already submitted an offer for Donovan Mitchell. He also mentioned that the Utah Jazz “found that offer insufficient”.
“As [Jazz general manager Justin] Zanik hinted, Mitchell’s status with the Jazz might then be determined by what other teams are offering for him — if the Jazz got a return that made them more likely to be a championship team, they’d do the deal.”
“According to a league source, one offer came from Miami even before the Gobert trade was finalized. The Jazz, though, found that offer insufficient. In addition, Miami’s win-now roster has limited picks and young players to trade.”
There is no doubt that Donovan Mitchell is a star that will command a lot in a trade. He is a genuine difference-maker for any contending team, and it is easy to see why the Jazz would want a lot in return for him.
Hopefully, we see Donovan Mitchell play on a contending team next season, whether that team is the Jazz or another franchise. It remains to be seen if the Miami Heat will end up getting him, and they’ll certainly need to give up an insane trade package for the Jazz to let him go.
