Donovan Mitchell Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Cousins, Nuggets, Mitchell, Timberwolves

May 16th, 2022 at 7:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have strong interest in re-signing backup center DeMarcus Cousins, according to Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com. Cousins began the season in Milwaukee and finished it in Denver, averaging 8.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 31 regular-season contests and 10.6 PPG and 3.4 RPG in five postseason outings. Whether Denver makes that move depends upon the market for Cousins, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

We have more from from the Northwest Division:

Having Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back in the lineup will certainly boost the Nuggets’ offense next season. However, they need to get much better defensively to truly become a championship team, Mike Singer of the Denver Post notes. The club was 24th defensively in points allowed in the paint and also aided the opponent’s cause with careless turnovers. “To be a dangerous, deep playoff team, you have to have an elite defense,” coach Michael Malone said.
If the Jazz don’t trade Donovan Mitchell, should they make him the primary ballhandler over Mike Conley? Sarah Todd of the Deseret News believes so. Putting Mitchell in that role next to a larger complement of wing players makes the most sense if Utah retains him, Todd says.
While the postseason experience will certainly help the Timberwolves down the road, they’ve got a lot of growing up to do, Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune opines. Scoggins notes that Minnesota gave away three double-digit fourth-quarter leads against Memphis due to a lack of maturity and composure, abetted by poor shot selection. The fact that D’Angelo Russell played his way out of the crunch time lineup also needs to addressed.

Central Notes: LaVine, Pacers Workouts, White, Pistons Draft

May 12th, 2022 at 7:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Zach LaVine‘s decision to have knee surgery in the offseason shows his commitment to the game and the Bulls, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson. LaVine’s decision to play through his knee injury this season with Chicago heading to the playoffs proved how much he wanted to experience the postseason for himself and give his teammates a chance to do the same. He’ll still get paid this summer in unrestricted free agency, likely a maximum deal, Johnson adds.

We have more on the Central Division:

The Pacers will host a pre-draft workout for six prospects on Friday, including Michigan forward Moussa Diabate, according to Pacers.com. Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq, USC guard Boogie Ellis, Saint Joseph’s guard Jordan Hall, Davidson forward Hyunjung Lee and Memphis forward Josh Minott will be the other participants.
Coby White‘s situation with the Bulls will be worth watching closely this offseason, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. If the team’s front office decides not to pursue extension talks with White, he could be one of their main trade pieces. White, who ended the season in a shooting slump, will be a restricted free agent next offseason if he’s not signed to an extension.
If the Pistons don’t move up in the lottery, they could wind up trading their pick, James Edwards III of The Athletic speculates. If a young All-Star guard likes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Donovan Mitchell is made available, the Pistons would listen. However, if they can draft a top prospect like Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith, they’ll keep the pick, Edwards adds.

Fischer’s Latest: Jazz, Conley, Snyder, Popovich, Graham

May 11th, 2022 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

Speculation about the potential breakup of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert appears to be fueled more by people outside of the Jazz organization than those within it, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who says sources from the team and around the NBA believe that CAA has been responsible for many of the whispers involving Mitchell’s future.

According to Fischer, team owner Ryan Smith is willing to spend big on a contender, and Utah has no plans to rebuild. Smith also likes the idea of having multiple players in the 2023 All-Star Game, which the Jazz will host.

Although some rival executives believe a Gobert trade is a possibility and view the Mavericks, Hawks, and Raptors as potential destinations, Fischer says the Jazz are focused on upgrading their defense, so moving a three-time Defensive Player of the Year seems counterintuitive. On the other hand, complementary players like Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, and perhaps even Mike Conley are considered more realistic trade candidates.

Fischer wonders if the Clippers or the Knicks might have interest in Conley, another CAA client. With the Jazz seeking help on the wing, Evan Fournier could theoretically headline a Knicks offer for Conley if they miss out on Jalen Brunson, says Fischer, though he notes that some staffers in New York would prefer to stay in-house and give Immanuel Quickley an expanded role.

As for the Clippers, Fischer is skeptical that a Conley trade offer centered around sharpshooter Luke Kennard would appeal to a Utah team looking to improve its defense and suggests that a more realistic point guard target for L.A. would be John Wall, assuming he and the Rockets work out a buyout. Wall has also been linked to the Heat, but Fischer’s sources believe Miami’s interest predated last year’s acquisition of Kyle Lowry.

Here’s more from Fischer:

There’s “little expectation” among people close to the situation that Quin Snyder will leave the Jazz before his contract expires in 2023, says Fischer. Snyder also holds an option for the 2023/24 season.
Jazz CEO Danny Ainge doesn’t appear inclined to shake up the team’s basketball operations department. According to Fischer, major changes would likely only occur if former head of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey gets a top front office job elsewhere and wants to bring some Utah executives with him.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who is traveling and considering his coaching future, plans to visit Belgrade for the EuroLeague Final Four later this month, a source tells Fischer. The general sense is that Popovich seems interested in coaching San Antonio for at least one more season, Fischer adds.
The Pelicans are among the teams believed to be considering a possible point guard upgrade this offseason, reports Fischer. Devonte’ Graham saw his role reduced significantly in the playoffs and some people around the league think he could end up on the trade block this offseason, but sources tell Fischer the Pels aren’t motivated to move on from Graham like they were with Eric Bledsoe a year ago.

Hawks Notes: Simmons, Gobert, Hunter, Workouts

May 11th, 2022 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks will be in the mix to acquire a second star if one becomes available this offseason, Chris Kirschner writes in a mailbag for The Athletic. While Atlanta won’t have the cap flexibility to pursue top free agents, Kirschner expects the team to do its homework on a handful of possible trade candidates.

Several people within the Hawks’ organization wanted to acquire Ben Simmons prior to this year’s trade deadline, according to Kirschner, who suggests Simmons could be a player worth monitoring this summer. Given the way the 25-year-old’s season played out and the fact that he’ll be returning from back surgery, his price would presumably be even lower than it was at the deadline. However, there’s no indication at this point that the Nets are looking to move on from the three-time All-Star.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

According to Kirschner, the Hawks will likely keep an eye on Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in case the Jazz decide to make major roster changes in the coming months. Kirschner, who views Gobert as a likelier target for Atlanta than Mitchell, has heard that Utah is fond of forward De’Andre Hunter.
The Hawks will hold a pre-draft workout on Wednesday for the following six players, tweets Kirschner: Anthony Duruji (Florida), Tari Eason (LSU), Collin Gillespie (Villanova), Kellan Grady (Kentucky), Kameron McGusty (Miami), and Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga). Eason is the No. 16 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list, while the others are further down the board.
Pointing to the comments recently made by team owner Tony Ressler, Ethan Fuller of BasketballNews.com explains why the Hawks look like a “must-watch team” this offseason.

Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Butler, Snyder, Paschall

May 5th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The 2022 offseason will be the most important of Donovan Mitchell‘s career so far, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones writes, the Jazz‘s first-round loss to Dallas showed that Mitchell needs to become more stout defensively and must continue to improve his decision-making with the ball in his hands.

While Mitchell had another strong season in 2021/22, the Jazz will need him to take one more leap on both ends of the courts if they want to become true title contenders, says Jones, noting that the 25-year-old himself seems to recognize as much.

“I wasn’t where I wanted to be this year,” Mitchell said after Utah’s season ended. “And there were times this year when the ball rolled out that we didn’t show that we wanted to be a team with championship aspirations. … I’m looking forward to working on my game all summer, and getting into the gym. I’m looking forward to putting the work in.”

Here’s more out of Utah:

After helping Baylor win the national championship in 2021, Jared Butler didn’t have much of a role for the Jazz as a rookie, averaging 3.8 PPG and 1.5 APG in 42 games (8.6 MPG). However, Butler left his exit meeting with the team feeling optimistic that he’ll have more opportunities in 2022/23, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News.
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder underwent hip replacement surgery this week, per the team (Twitter link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). The procedure had originally been set for June, but Snyder decided to get it done sooner rather than later.
Ryan Kostecka of UtahJazz.com takes a look at what’s next for some of Utah’s reserves, including Nickeil Alexander-Walker and restricted free agents like Eric Paschall and Trent Forrest. Paschall said his offseason goal is to improve his outside shooting. “I would love to become a 40% three-point shooter,” said the forward, who made 37.0% of his threes in 2021/22 after hitting just 30.1% in his first two NBA seasons.

Warriors May Have Interest In Rudy Gobert

May 1st, 2022 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors are a team to watch if the Jazz decide to trade Rudy Gobert this offseason, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Real GM).

There have been rumors for several years that Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have an uneasy relationship in Utah. Speculation that they might be broken up has resurfaced after the Jazz were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.

During a discussion about possible trade destinations for Gobert, Tim MacMahon of ESPN, a guest on Windhorst’s show, joked that Gobert and Draymond Green have a great relationship and wondered if the Warriors could be a a potential landing spot for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Windhorst replied, “I have heard that rumor out there.”

Gobert has four years and about $170MM left on his contract, including a $46.6MM player option in 2025/26, so it won’t be easy for Utah to move him. Windhorst points out that Golden State has Andrew Wiggins‘ expiring $33.6MM deal for next season to help match salary.

Both Windhorst and MacMahon indicated that it’s more likely Gobert will be traded instead of Mitchell if Utah decides to split them up. There’s a belief that the Jazz want to hold onto Mitchell and rebuild the roster around him.

Jazz Rumors: Snyder, Mitchell, Gobert, Offseason

April 29th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Jazz were eliminated in the first round for the third time in four years, the team’s ownership and management groups don’t consider head coach Quin Snyder part of the problem in Utah, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. The comments made by general manager Justin Zanik during a media session on Friday certainly back that up.

“Quin Snyder is one of the best coaches in the NBA,” Zanik said, according to Erik Walden and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “There is no other partner I would rather have as a coach and as a leader of our players and as a partner in our front office than Quin Snyder.”

According to Amick, Snyder has one guaranteed year left on his contract with the Jazz, then has an option year (the option decision is Snyder’s, not the team’s) for 2023/24. However, sources tell The Athletic that the head coach has been unsure for much of the year what his future holds and plans to assess his options now that the season is over. Staying with the Jazz, going to a new team, or even taking a year off are all options, Amick writes.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, who first reported on the Snyder situation in March, says today that the Lakers‘ interest in the veteran coach is serious, but adds that there’s skepticism in coaching circles that Snyder would leave Utah for Los Angeles, given the drama that surrounded Frank Vogel during his tenure with the team.

Stein, who reiterates that the Jazz unsuccessfully tried to extend Snyder prior to the 2021/22 season, agrees with Amick that the idea of the 55-year-old taking a year off isn’t out of the question. Snyder is “known to be held in high regard” by the Spurs, according to Stein, who suggests that a one-year hiatus from coaching could put him in position to become Gregg Popovich‘s successor.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

In addition to relaying Zanik’s comments about Snyder, Walden and Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune passed along several more of the most interesting quotes from the general manager’s Friday press conference. Notably, Zanik dismissed the idea that the interpersonal dynamics of Utah’s players – including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert – are a concern. “They’ve given themselves to each other. And all the outside narratives is just a bunch of noise,” Zanik said. “Internally, I see it every day. These guys care about each other.” The GM also referred to Mitchell and Gobert as “foundational pieces.”
In a fascinating story for ESPN.com, Tim MacMahon takes a look at some of the steps the Jazz have taken to make sure Mitchell is comfortable in Utah and explains why multiple teams have been monitoring the situation closely in anticipation of the All-Star guard possibly asking to be traded. Within a story about the Knicks‘ ongoing interest in Mitchell, Marc Berman of The New York Post says league sources have speculated about the Heat being a potential landing spot for the 25-year-old.
As MacMahon outlines, Mitchell became the fourth player of 18 (at the time) who signed rookie scale extensions since the 2011 lockout to get a player option in his contract, and the first three (Paul George, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis) all pushed for trades before those deals expired. Some rival executives have also speculated that market size is important to Mitchell, says MacMahon, whose story is worth reading in full.
According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, if Danny Ainge and the Jazz want to seriously shake up their roster this summer, trading Gobert would be the most logical way to do it. Hollinger identifies some hypothetical trade partners if Utah decides to go that route, breaking down how a Gobert deal might work for the Hornets, Hawks, Raptors, Knicks, or Grizzlies.

Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Gobert, Snyder, Offseason

April 29th, 2022 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Game 6 loss to Dallas that ended their season on Thursday night, the Jazz face an offseason of potential change. Asked after the game about what the future looks like, center Rudy Gobert and guard Jordan Clarkson both expressed a desire to remain in Utah, but acknowledged that decision could be out of their control, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links).

While forward Royce O’Neale asserted that “this group wants to stay together,” Gobert expressed uncertainty when he was asked whether the current roster has reached its ceiling (Twitter links via Walden).

“I don’t know,” Gobert said. “We have a lot of talent. This year we faced more adversity. I feel like we could be so much better. … You try to ask yourself why we can’t be consistent.”

As for star guard Donovan Mitchell, he said yes when he was asked after the game whether he wants to stick with the Jazz, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. When he was later asked to address speculation about the possibility of him eventually asking for a trade, Mitchell was less equivocal, but gave no indication that such a request is on his mind in the short term.

“My mindset is to win,” he said. “Right now, I’m not really looking at that. I answered (the first) question, and you could take that. But for me, I just want to win, yo. Like, this hurts. And like I said, I’ll think about it in a week and go from there. But right now, I’m not thinking at all about that.”

Here’s more on the Jazz:

Tony Jones of The Athletic expects significant roster changes in Utah this summer, writing that at least one starter will likely be playing elsewhere next season. However, he hears from sources that the Jazz are committed to building around Mitchell and don’t plan to fully blow up the roster. If the team is open to trading Gobert, there are multiple teams that would be interested, but sources tell Jones that the three-time Defensive player of the Year remains “all in” on the Jazz and would like to spend the rest of his career with the organization.
Within the same story, Jones says that Quin Snyder‘s future will be determined one way or the other in “the coming days and weeks.” Sources tell The Athletic that Utah’s front office has been happy with the job Snyder has done and that he hasn’t lost the locker room, so if a coaching change occurs, Snyder may be the one instigating it.
In his offseason preview for the Jazz, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) argues that the team should remain focused on building around Mitchell and Gobert rather than breaking them up. While Utah has been hurt by small-ball lineups in playoff series in recent years, Marks says that’s more an indictment of the club’s perimeter defense than of Gobert.
Even before Utah’s Game 6 loss on Thursday, Zach Kram of The Ringer contended that it was time for the franchise to admit its roster shortcomings and prepare to shake things up this summer. Kram explores whether it would be in the Jazz’s best interests to consider trading Gobert or Mitchell — or even both.

Injury Notes: VanVleet, Mitchell, Ingram, Z. Williams

April 27th, 2022 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has officially been listed as doubtful for Game 6 of the team’s first-round series vs. Philadelphia, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Raptors will be looking to even up the series at 3-3 with a win in Toronto on Thursday.

VanVleet suffered a left hip flexor strain in Game 4 on Saturday and his comments prior to Game 5 indicated there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to return in the first round.

Although VanVleet was an All-Star this season and will be missed if he’s officially ruled out, the Raptors have actually looked better against the Sixers with their starting point guard on the sidelines. Toronto has a +11.2 net rating in 105 minutes without VanVleet, compared to a -16.0 net rating in the 140 minutes he has spent on the court.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After getting good news when an MRI on his hamstring came back clean on Tuesday, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell said today that he’ll be “good to go” for Game 6 on Thursday, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). Mitchell told reporters that he was concerned when he thought his soreness was hamstring-related, but isn’t worried now that he has just been diagnosed with quad bruising.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram told reporters after Tuesday’s game that he banged up the ring and pinkie fingers on his right hand during the fourth quarter of the team’s Game 5 loss, but he doesn’t expect the injury to be an issue going forward. “(The fingers) got jammed. They’re pretty sore right now,” Ingram said, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “But nothing that treatment can’t fix and get better by next game.”
Grizzlies rookie Ziaire Williams exited Tuesday’s win over Minnesota early due to right knee soreness, as Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Williams’ status for Game 6 on Friday is unknown.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Mitchell, Wolves, Nuggets

April 26th, 2022 at 11:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After evening their first-round playoff matchup with a gutty 100-99 Game 4 win over the Mavericks in Utah, the Jazz proceeded to get blown out in a blistering 102-77 Game 5 loss on the road. Tony Jones of The Athletic considers the listless loss to be just the newest indignity for a solid squad with a patchy postseason record.

“Our mindset, it was disappointing,” All-Star center Rudy Gobert said. “I felt like we didn’t respond to their energy and their intensity. I felt like we didn’t respond to their focus. They just outplayed us.”

Jones notes that the Jazz have struggled all year through erratic performances and an easy susceptibility to tougher teams. Though Jones considers Utah talented enough to win at least its next home contest, Game 6, he wonders if the team will be able to overcome its issues to defeat a hungry Dallas club.

“We have to do a better job of moving the basketball and playing the right way,” said Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic. “I thought we played well enough offensively. I just thought we had to do a better job of moving the basketball.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Should they lose early in these playoffs, the Jazz face an uncertain summer, and could move on some of their top players. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, all signs points to Utah owner Ryan Smith, in his second season with the team, wanting to hold onto All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell over any other core team personnel.
The Timberwolves have struggled to defend second-year Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, who has been shooting lights-out from long range during the two teams’ first-round series, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Hine notes that Minnesota’s priority on defense has been stopping All-Star point guard Ja Morant, leaving Bane open. “Sometimes you can’t cover it all,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said following the team’s 119-118 victory in Game 4. “We got to just find him a little quicker. He does a really good job of moving into the right space when you’re in rotation. He’s got a quick release and deep range. I think sometimes his range catches our guys off guard a little bit.” Bane has shot 18-of-35 from long range across the last three games in the series. After tonight, Memphis leads Minnesota 3-2 in their series.
The Nuggets, with their backs against the wall down 3-1 to the Warriors, hope to extend their first-round series employing the same chippy fight they had during their recent two-game home stand, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post. “We’re not backing down from anybody,” Denver forward Aaron Gordon said at a team practice this week. The club amped up the contact against Golden State in two physical contests at Ball Arena. “I would say our physicality definitely improved from Games 1 and 2 to 3 and 4,” reserve Nuggets center DeMarcus Cousins said of the team’s tactical shift. “One thing we did know about ourselves was we were the reason we were losing those (first three) games.”