After working to create a culture change in Minnesota last season, Patrick Beverley was looking forward to helping the Timberwolves take the next step. Although he was caught off guard by the team’s decision to send him to the Jazz in the Rudy Gobert trade, Beverley told Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston he wouldn’t call the move a surprise (video link).
“Surprised, no not in this business,” Beverley said. “Understood it. Never personal, always business. We did some great things in Minnesota. We kind of revamped the environment there. Gave the fans something to be happy about.”
Beverley brought a veteran presence to a young Wolves team that reached the playoffs for just the second time in the past 18 seasons. He hopes to fill a similar role for Utah, but admits that things are unpredictable in the midst of Donovan Mitchell trade rumors.
“We’ll see what happens in the next couple of weeks. It’s a lot going on right now,” Beverley said (video link). “We’ll see where the dust clears. Hopefully Donovan Mitchell stays and the team is competitive. If that’s the case we’re very excited.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Knicks are still in position to make the best offer for Mitchell, but Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has the advantage of being able to wait until someone meets his price, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Larsen examines the trade assets from the Hawks, Hornets, Heat, Kings, Raptors and Wizards – all rumored Mitchell suitors – to see what they could potentially offer.
- Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard considers himself fully recovered from abdominal surgery in January, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Lillard played 29 games last season before deciding to have the operation, but he admits that the pain had been bothering him for nearly five years. “I feel 100 percent healthy,” Lillard said. “I got a break from playing and going out there knowing I didn’t feel good, and the burden of, ‘We have to win. I have to perform well.’ That’s a little bit stressful. So the last seven-and-a-half, almost eight months without having to think about none of those things, it kind of cleared my mind. Physically, I feel great.”
- Longtime Sixers executive Vince Rozman will join the Thunder as vice president of identification and intelligence, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
I’m not big Mitchell proponent. For the right price. I can support a Knicks move. Especially if Randle is moved in the trade.
So let’s examine the so called suitors for him.
Hawks – really Why. Just made an excellent move for their backcourt. Nothing here
Hornets – bringing in any star is welcomed in Charlotte. But guard help isn’t really what they need. Unless they move LaMelo in trade. I doubt this ….
Kings – Really why ???? with Murray coming in. The future looks bright. Not a smart move or the right move.
Raptors – Unless they give up Scottie. I doubt Jazz want anything else they got.
Wizards – really, Why ????
Beal and Mitchell is not a good pairing imo.
Heat – I think is a good place. Definitely can fit in here with Jimmy. But I don’t think they can offer more than Knicks. Herro is a nice player. But is do a new contract. So you would have to want to sign him. Plus Utah wants to tank next yr.
DM wants to go home. This will play in on where he goes. To me 4 picks is enough. With two swaps. Randle can be moved for more assets to a third team. He’s coming to NY cause it’s the best deal they will get. Even if we have to wait till Jan 15.
Then hopefully there will be other players available…… So we can wait …….
Mitchell is not staying in Utah. That is clear to me. Cause it’s all about next yrs deep draft. So you tank and you win Big. That’s why you trade DM sooner than later.
Listing the Hawks as a potential suitor is just atrocious “journalism”, and means you don’t need to take anything Larsen writes seriously.
Funny how you support Donovan’s fit on the Knicks yet it’s the same situation as Charlotte, Washington, Toronto, and even the Kings.
Donovan can play either guard position, but is better as the SG with someone else bringing up the ball. That’s why the Jazz initially brought in Conley.
It’s pretty clear that anyone that brings in Donovan will likely trade their incoming logjam to the Jazz as part of the trade. Picks could vary with these teams depending on who they are willing to send back.
As for the Jazz, they haven’t fully committed to trading him or keeping him other than what they’ve said weeks ago in that press conference.
Letting it go on actually helps the Jazz as now more suitors are showing up with offers. They know the Jazz don’t like what the Knicks are willing to give up. These other teams then figure why not give it a shot?
I’m sure the Kings are tired of missing the playoffs. They’re about as desperate as it gets. 17 year playoff drought is pretty shocking. Donovan, with their veterans, would pretty much get them there. If I were the Jazz, I’d also offer Bojan, Conley, and maybe Rudy Gay to help add more veteran experience that they sorely still need.
Charlotte is another team that needs more veterans. Although, unless they have lots of picks I doubt their offer is very good.
The Hawks are borderline needing veterans. Dejounte Murray could slide to the 3 if they really want to incorporate Donovan. Lol
Toronto is a question mark. A trade with them would’ve worked better for a retool for Gobert. However, if they trade for Donovan then the incoming players would either need to have trade value or be pretty young.
Fontecchio just signed with the Jazz. He’s 26. That tells me their current limit for keeping guys. That fits a retool or a rebuild.
In other words, they could still end up keeping Donovan and completing a retool. The problem is the offers keep coming in so it has made the Jazz pause their retool plans…for now.
Nobody mentioned has an abundance of picks like Knicks do. You might want to look into that. Hornets do have plenty of young players they can move. But Jazz want to tank next yr. So they are not interested in winning for atleast two yrs.
DM wants NY. It’s his home. Personally I’d rather go another way. But I do like him.
The Jazz are in rebuilding mode. If you can’t see that or understand it. Then nothing is going to convince you.
The whole point of getting Murray was to help Young. And to strengthen their D. Plus they have no picks after trade. So him going to Hawks is just NO News. Makes absolutely no sense. You may also want to look at Hawks roster. They are full of wings. They didn’t get Murray to play a wing.
A bit touchy, aren’t you? I was kidding about the Hawks. I’m sure the Jazz would rather accommodate Donovan to a team he wants to go to, since he’s not requested a trade nor were they looking to move him. This is purely “hey, what do you have to offer?” type thing.
The Jazz are only considering a rebuild now because of the trade they got for Rudy and the offers for Donovan. However, if he didn’t have so many years left on his contract then that wouldn’t leave the door open to keep Donovan.
Donovan’s only 25, currently. That’s younger than the free agent they just signed. If the offers that come in still don’t wow them, then they’ll move on with Donovan. Not that hard to imagine.
As for the other offers, they don’t have to have exactly what the Knicks offered. Some could offer better players in compensation for draft picks and unproven young players. In reality, that doesn’t eliminate any of them…for the right package.
It’s hard to guess what the Jazz front office want to do. Not even the experts know what the Jazz are thinking. It’s only the Knicks fans that seem to know for sure. Lol
If I had to guess, I would think the Jazz would hold onto Donovan until next Summer, before the draft. That way they can have Donovan play in the All-Star game in Salt Lake City this year. That also gives them a year to make trades for all these veterans.
The goal then becomes to acquire a top pick in next year’s draft. Yes, they could try and tank to get there. However, that’s no guarantee you get a top pick. The Jazz instead use Donovan as a trade chip to a young team. They could include the Knicks as the third team to receive Donovan. Ideally, the Jazz would then receive the top pick.
Will this work? I think it entirely depends on who gets that top pick?
If the team that gets it is a team that’s good but happens to have a traded pick that ends up being a top pick then I could see them wanting to make a deal.
If the team is older and doesn’t want anymore young players then that’s a trade candidate.
If the team has been out of the playoffs for too long and wants to win now then I could see them wanting quality players to help them win. They might want Donovan instead, so that’s something to consider. Maybe RJ would be part of that 3-team scenario?
If the team stinks and is already young then they might want to trade the pick if it gives them an enticing package of value for the pick. Otherwise, they might not.
If the team stinks and is full of olders players that were injured, then they might want Donovan, or RJ, or a package to help their depth. Injuries and losing means that team didn’t have enough depth.
If the team stinks and they were projected to win then they’re likely to blow it up. A team like this might want to keep the pick. Otherwise, they would need a package like the Jazz are currently asking for to get Donovan. In this scenario, both Donovan and RJ would be too old for their plans. Although, Ainge could convince them to retool instead.
In other words, trading Donovan now means the Jazz need to hurry and trade all their veterans if they want the top pick. Tanking for a year isn’t bad at all. They could make up nagging injuries for everyone, but that’s not ideal. Yet, it does set them up nicely for the next year.
If they don’t want to tank then they should keep Donovan and see if they can get the top pick in the draft next year with a trade. If that involves Donovan then they’ll have to consider it, for the right price. Otherwise, they have plenty of assets now to make a trade like that without including him. Yes, the Knicks could be a third team. Just have to stay open to all offers.
Something to think about…