The Cavaliers have “removed themselves” from the Donovan Mitchell trade talks with the Jazz, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Begley doesn’t provide any further details on the Cavs’ decision, but his update suggests that Cleveland wasn’t comfortable meeting Utah’s high asking price for Mitchell.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 identified the Cavaliers earlier this week as a team with interest in Mitchell, and Begley subsequently reported that Cleveland had “touched base” with Utah about the three-time All-Star guard.
Despite those reports, the Cavs always seemed like a long shot to acquire Mitchell, given that they were unlikely to part with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen and had already traded away one of their future first-round picks.
The Wizards and Hornets are among the other teams that have been mentioned as Mitchell suitors. However, as Begley observes, the Knicks have looked throughout the process like the frontrunners for the 25-year-old, assuming he’s moved at all.
New York could offer RJ Barrett as a centerpiece or could build a package using a series of first-round picks. The Knicks have all their own future first-round selections and have acquired four extra protected first-rounders from other teams.
While the Knicks have the ability to make a strong offer for Mitchell, a Thursday report suggested the two teams aren’t close to a deal and stated that the Jazz are willing to hang onto their star guard rather than accept “90 cents on the dollar” for him.
Donovan Mitchell hasn’t asked the Jazz to trade him, but if he were to be dealt, he would prefer to end up with the Knicks, Nets, or Heat, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic.
The Knicks, of course, are viewed as Mitchell’s top suitor, and while Brooklyn and Miami have also been mentioned as possible landing spots, those teams aren’t as well positioned to swing a trade for the All-Star guard. The Nets can’t trade for Mitchell as long as Ben Simmons remains on the roster due to the designated rookie extension rule, while the Heat “simply don’t have the assets that the Jazz are looking for,” according to Jones.
The Jazz are said to be seeking a significant haul of first-round picks in any Mitchell deal, which is why the Knicks are viewed as a frontrunner. New York has acquired four protected first-rounders from other teams and also has all of its own picks available.
The Heat, on the other hand, don’t have any extra first-rounders and have traded their own 2025 pick to Oklahoma City. Given the restrictions imposed by the Stepien rule, Miami could only offer three first-round picks in a package for Mitchell, while New York could trade up to eight.
Although the Knicks have long been linked to Mitchell and have had ongoing trade discussions with the Jazz, the two teams aren’t close to a deal, says Jones.
Utah has also spoken to other suitors and has multiple offers on the table that the front office feels are worth exploring if talks with the Knicks don’t work out, sources tell The Athletic. The Hornets, Wizards, and Cavaliers are among the other teams that have been reported by multiple outlets as possible suitors for Mitchell.
If the Jazz don’t get an offer they like from the Knicks or one of those other potential trade partners, they’re comfortable entering the season with Mitchell on their roster. According to Jones, the club believes it’s in a good position to retool the roster around Mitchell and is more inclined to take that route than to accept “90 cents on the dollar” for the three-time All-Star.
As McDonald observes, while it’s possible that some potential Durant suitors might turn to Mitchell instead, based on Utah’s return for Rudy Gobert, the team seems focused on a package centered on draft picks. Thus, the Knicks remain the most logical trade partner for Mitchell due to their ability to offer several first-rounders for Mitchell, according to McDonald.
Here’s more from Utah:
Along the same lines, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune explores which potential Durant suitors might pivot to Mitchell, and what those teams could potentially offer in deals for Utah’s three-time All-Star guard. According to Walden, even if teams like the Raptors, Celtics, Suns and Grizzlies aren’t all-in on Mitchell, perhaps they might give the Jazz more leverage in negotiations with the Knicks, which might help facilitate a trade sending Mitchell home to New York.
The Miller family announced in a press release that it is selling a share of its minority stake in the Jazz. In a separate story for The Salt Lake Tribune, a source tells Walden that the move was tied to the recent news that Arctos Sports Partners is becoming a minority shareholder in the Jazz, with the intention of bringing a third professional franchise to Utah. The Millers owned the Jazz for 35 years, but sold the team to Ryan Smith in 2020 while retaining a 20% stake in the franchise. However, the initial deal stipulated that the Miller family would eventually sell all of its shares to Smith’s ownership group, and now a portion has been sold off to Arctos, with the Millers making a nice profit, Walden writes.
In case you missed it, the Cavaliers have reportedly “touched base” with the Jazz about Mitchell in recent days. You can find more details right here.
Within his latest roundup of Donovan Mitchell rumors, Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms that the Cavaliers have “touched base” with the Jazz about Mitchell in recent days. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 named Cleveland as one of the teams with interest in Mitchell in a Tuesday report.
Begley observes that the Cavaliers have the young players and draft picks necessary to make a competitive offer for Mitchell, but stresses that their level of interest in the Jazz star is unknown.
As I noted on Tuesday, it would be a little surprising to see the Cavaliers make a serious bid for someone like Mitchell after just locking up Darius Garland to a maximum-salary extension. Garland and Mitchell could theoretically play together, but going all-in to acquire another ball-dominant guard may not be the best use of assets for a Cavs team that has a greater need for a two-way forward.
Here’s more from around the East:
Deividas Sirvydis‘ new one-year contract with the Pacers includes Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means it could be converted into a two-way deal before opening night or could put Sirvydis in line to earn a $50K bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with Indiana’s G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Reacting to the revelation that Jayson Tatum played through a non-displaced fracture in his wrist during the second half of the 2021/22 season, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston observes that Tatum’s ability to stay on the court enhances his value to the Celtics. Since entering the NBA in 2017, Tatum has missed just 25 of 390 regular season games and has appeared in all 74 of Boston’s playoff contests.
In the second installment of a two-part mailbag, Eric Koreen of The Athletic considers whether the Raptors would have real interest in Myles Turner as a trade target, evaluates what two-way player Jeff Dowtin brings to Toronto, and weighs whether another Canadian city could get an NBA expansion team.
While it’s clear they’re seeking several first-round picks in exchange for Donovan Mitchell, there have been conflicting reports over which Knicks players the Jazz would prefer in such a deal.
According to SNY TV’s Ian Begley, Utah continues to have strong interest in Knicks wing RJ Barrett. Evan Fournier’s name has also come up in discussions — his contract would certainly facilitate a deal from salary-matching purposes.
The Knicks have softened their stance on potentially dealing Barrett, with some of their decision makers willing to part with Barrett in a Mitchell deal, according to Begley’s sources. However, there are several voices of influence in the organization, Begley notes, so it’s no certainty they’d actually give up Barrett.
We have more on the Knicks:
Rick Pitino, who coached them in the late ’80s and currently coaches at Iona, said that Mitchell would “love” to wear a Knicks uniform, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Donovan loves the Knicks,’’ Pitino said. “Donovan loves being around his mom, sister and dad. Donovan would treasure being a Knick. That being said, things have to work out. I’m hoping, keeping my fingers crossed that he becomes a Knick. It would be very special for me as a coach seeing him in a Knick uniform as an ex-Knick coach.”
Barrett is a member of Team Canada, but he won’t play in the World Cup qualifying game against Argentina this week, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets. He’s reluctant to risk taking the court with a potential financial windfall looming. Barrett is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
For more info on Mitchell trade talks, click here.
A report last month identified the Heat, Kings, and Hawks as a few of the teams with interest in Donovan Mitchell, but John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Twitter) disputes the notion that those three clubs are actually pursuing the Jazz guard.
Gambadoro’s report doesn’t come as a major surprise. Shams Charania of The Athletic, who first said those teams were among Mitchell’s possible suitors, hasn’t mentioned them since. When Charania and Tony Jones reported last week that the Knicks had re-engaged with the Jazz about Mitchell, The Athletic named the Wizards and Hornets as some other teams with interest. Gambadoro confirmed today that Washington and Charlotte remain in play for Mitchell.
Here’s more on Mitchell, who is now the biggest star available with Kevin Durant off the trade market:
The Cavaliers, Lakers, and Nets are among the other teams with interest in Mitchell, according to Gambadoro. While that may be true, it’s hard to envision any of those clubs putting together a viable package for the Jazz star. The Lakers only have two first-round picks available to trade (2027 and 2029), while Brooklyn can’t acquire Mitchell as long as Ben Simmons remains on the roster, and Utah seems unlikely to be interested in Simmons as a centerpiece. The Cavs, meanwhile, just signed Darius Garland to a five-year, maximum-salary extension, so it’d be surprising if they gave up a ton of assets for another 6’1″ lead guard.
Addressing a New York Post report, Gambadoro says the Jazz never asked for seven first-round picks in a package for Mitchell. The Knicks are one of the few teams with the ability to give up that many first-rounders in a trade, since they’ve acquired a few picks from other teams in addition to hanging onto their own.
Tony Jones of The Athletic weighs how the Jazz would benefit from trading Mitchell and how they’d benefit from hanging onto him.
The Knicks’ offer was said to include Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, five first-round picks and “additional salary.” In that proposal, two of the five first-round picks the Knicks offered were unprotected.
All the extra first-rounders the team has acquired from other clubs have some form of protections on them, so the Jazz are apparently seeking four of New York’s own future picks.
That would be a tough pill for New York to swallow, since it would be difficult to make another significant trade and become a championship contender. The stalemate in the trade discussions is centered around the unprotected picks, rather than the mix of players, according to Berman.
New York is willing to deal Toppin in part because small ball lineups with Toppin and Julius Randle are unappealing to the organization, Berman adds.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
Though Kevin Durant hasn’t backed down from his trade demand, the Nets have not yet lowered their asking price, Marc Stein reports in a Substack post. The organization believes there’s still time for Durant to soften his stance and remain with the franchise. They also want to see if Durant will report to training camp on time or if he’ll try to make things more uncomfortable and force the organization’s hand.
Udonis Haslem has decided to continue his playing career because he’s a “bearer of Heat culture,” Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Haslem said in part, “I’m sacrificing for the next generation. You know, I’m the bearer of Heat culture, I take it serious. It’s not a game. It’s not a joke. … I’ve watched the culture save so many, like it saved me.”
Longtime NBA player and current ESPN broadcaster Jalen Rose feels the combination of Cade Cunningham and rookie Jaden Ivey will spark the Pistons’ revival, according to a video post from The Detroit News’ Mike Curtis. “I think we now have another All-Star backcourt. … I’m really excited about the potential of our team,” said Rose, a Michigan native.
According to The Athletic’s duo, two of the five first-round picks the Knicks offered were unprotected. Those two picks would have to be New York’s own, since all the extra first-rounders the team has acquired from other clubs have some form of protections on them.
Charania and Jones also report that New York’s offer included “additional salary.” The Knicks would have to add at least one player to Fournier and Toppin in order to match Mitchell’s $30.35MM cap hit — Miles McBride and Cam Reddish are perhaps the most likely candidates to be that additional player.
A report in mid-July, when the Jazz and Knicks first engaged in serious discussions about Mitchell, indicated that Utah was seeking six first-round picks, plus young players like Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, in exchange for the All-Star guard.
New York appears to have moved toward closing that gap, but Utah will presumably continue to haggle over the protections on the picks as well as the young Knicks players included in the return. The Jazz would probably also rather acquire Derrick Rose and his expiring contract for salary-matching purposes than Fournier and his multiyear deal, but could relent on that point if most of the rest of their asking price is met.
Mitchell remains under contract for at least three more seasons with a player option for 2025/26 and reportedly hasn’t made a trade request, so Utah has conveyed no urgency to move him. However, if the Jazz can secure a return that matches or exceeds the one they got for Rudy Gobert earlier this summer, the expectation is that they’ll pull the trigger.
Multiple sources tell Berman that the Knicks recoiled from the original demands by Utah team president Danny Ainge, who asked for seven first-round picks in addition to young players on controllable contracts. Talks remained dormant for a while, but the teams have re-engaged each other.
According to Berman, New York’s front office believes adding Mitchell would improve the team by about 10 wins, taking it to the 47-victory level. The concern is that there would be no way to improve beyond that if the franchise gives up a significant number of its draft assets.
“Getting from 47 wins to 57 wins, that’s harder than 37 to 47,’’ a coaching source told Berman.
Berman notes that the Knicks traded this year’s first-round pick to clear cap room to add free agent guard Jalen Brunson, and the team could be in danger of losing another selection if the NBA determines that tampering occurred in the Brunson signing.
Coach Tom Thibodeau is strongly interested in adding Mitchell, Berman adds, but he’s staying out of the spotlight while the process plays out. Berman cites a belief around the league that Thibodeau would prefer to part with RJ Barrett in a Mitchell trade rather than give up second-year guard Quentin Grimes, who’s a better defender and long-distance shooter. Berman hears that Ainge is “hot to acquire” Grimes for Utah’s rebuilding project, and Berman’s source says Grimes wouldn’t be opposed to leaving instead of having no chance to start behind a Brunson-Mitchell backcourt.
Barrett, who averaged 20.0 PPG last season, is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 17.
When word first broke on July 1 that the Jazz had agreed to a blockbuster trade sending Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, reports from ESPN and The Athletic quickly clarified that Utah had no plans to trade Donovan Mitchell and intended to build its roster around the All-Star guard.
The reports made some sense. After all, there had been rumored tension between Gobert and Mitchell for years. Mitchell, who will turn 26 in September, is four years younger than Gobert and is on a slightly less pricey contract. If the organization was going to choose to move forward with one or the other, Mitchell seemed likely to be the pick.
On top of that, the return in the Gobert trade set up the Jazz for a quick pivot — they could incorporate reliable rotational role players like Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt and could conceivably flip some of the first-round picks they got from Minnesota for more pieces to complement Mitchell. Combining those assets with returning veterans like Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gay would provide the Jazz with a solid base.
However, that plan was called into question almost immediately as trade rumors began to swirl around Mitchell. Eleven days after the Gobert trade was first reported, Adrian Wojnarowski stated that the Jazz were open to inquiries on Mitchell. It didn’t take long for the team to engage in discussions with the Knicks, and subsequent reports identified the Heat, Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Hawks, and Kings as teams with varying levels of interest in the All-Star guard.
Just as a plan to retool around Mitchell could be justified, so too could a plan to pivot to a full-fledged rebuild. Having already traded away Gobert and Royce O’Neale for draft-heavy returns, the Jazz could go all-in on the fire sale by moving Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Beverley, and other veterans for more assets, loading up on draft picks, and charting a new course under CEO Danny Ainge and head coach Will Hardy, both of whom joined the franchise within the last year.
Taking that path would make sense for the Jazz if they have reservations about Mitchell’s ability to be a franchise player. And if that’s the case, it might be the right to move him, while he still has multiple years left on his contract and hasn’t hurt Utah’s leverage by asking for a trade and forcing the club’s hand.
Since that initial flurry of Mitchell trade rumors in July, the rumor mill has slowed down a little. By all accounts, the Jazz are asking for a massive return for Mitchell, seeking the same sort of haul of unprotected picks and solid players and contracts they were able to extract for Gobert.
If no team meets Utah’s asking price, this situation could play out in one of two ways — the Jazz, having already ventured part of the way down this road, could commit to that direction and lower their asking price for Mitchell, accepting the best offer on the table. Or they could shut down trade talks and enter the season with Mitchell on the roster, putting off the possibility of a deal until at least 2023.
Both approaches are risky. The Jazz won’t want to sell off an All-Star in his mid-20s for less than what he’s worth. But by hanging onto Mitchell, they’d run the risk of eventually being forced into trade talks on his terms down the road, should he ask out of Utah. And the closer we get to 2025 (when he can opt out of his contract), the more reluctant some teams may be to give up significant assets for Mitchell without assurances he’d re-sign.
We want to know what you think. How much longer do you expect Mitchell do remain in Utah? Will these trade talks culminate in a deal later this year, or will the Jazz end up retooling their roster around the guard like those initial reports suggested?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in!