The Utah Jazz just made a blockbuster trade, sending out their 1B to Donovan Mitchell’s 1A. But in the Rudy Gobert trade, they didn’t necessarily receive another big piece that can immediately help the roster compete for an NBA Championship next season. This approach has led to much speculation suggesting a Mitchell trade out of town could come next.
But that hasn’t been the indication coming out of Utah as they look to build the best roster in Will Hardy’s first season with the whistle. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tells it, the Jazz aren’t even listening to trade offers for their remaining star, and are committed to shaping the roster around Mitchell.
Not trading Donovan Mitchell a mistake?
There’s no telling just how the Utah Jazz will look without Rudy Gobert defending the paint. They’ve never had a team where Mitchell was the unquestioned leader, without another star lurking. Maybe they wish to enter the season with Mitchell shouldering more of the burden, in an effort to see just how far he can take them by himself.
We’ve heard rumors for years of Mitchell’s discontent with Gobert, now’s his chance to show what he can do.
Yet, to me the fascinating part about keeping Mitchell is exactly how Danny Ainge and Co. continue to shape the roster for the start of the 2022 season. Without Gobert, they have a massive hole at center. Sure, they have assembled a strong stable of role players, but they need to find a way to exchange some of their similar parts to build a more complete roster.
As is, Mitchell faces a tall task of trying to carry this squad back to the playoffs, could that lead to an eventual trade demand? It’s not really a bear I’d be willing to poke.
Related: 5 ideal Donovan Mitchell trade scenarios from the Utah Jazz