NBA Rumors: Jazz's demands for Donovan Mitchell include first-round picks and players on "manageable" contracts
The Utah Jazz are willing to trade Donovan Mitchell for a melange of draft picks and players. Should Mitchell stay in Utah, he will probably find himself on a tanking team, possibly in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
Wembanyama is projected to be the No.1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. At 7-foot-3, he seems to be one of the most promising stretch forwards in recent times.
The most notable clue for a team possibly preparing to tank in 2022 came from the San Antonio Spurs. They traded Dejounte Murray this offseason, perhaps the only formidable player on the team.
I can’t believe Tankapalooza 2023 aka Wobbling for Wembanyama started before July 1st, but here come the Spurs!!!!!
The New York Knicks have been vying for Donovan Mitchell for quite some time now. Despite passing on Mitchell with the eighth overall pick in 2017 and drafting Frank Ntilikina, the Knicks have been touted as persistent customers.
Jazz executive Danny Ainge has reportedly asked for a whopping seven first-round picks, which is basically all of New York's tradeable draft capital. RJ Barrett is considered by many to be untouchable in trade talks. Julius Randle, however, was already on a bit of thin ice with the Knicks last season and could be movable.
Tony Jones of The Athletic reinstated the idea that Utah remains where it was when it first started entertaining Mitchell’s suitors: picks and players. Jones wrote that the Jazz are steadfast in what they want for Mitchell. Utah isn't giving up on its star without a bushel of unprotected first-rounders. The team wants manageable contracts that come with a significant amount of team control.
Will Donovan Mitchell meet the same fate as Kevin Durant?
The Jazz's asking price could result in Donovan Mitchell meeting the same fate as Kevin Durant. After two months of speculation, Kevin Durant ended up staying in Brooklyn.
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Six or seven first-round picks is a tough ask, and the demand for young players on specific contracts just piles on the pain for suitors. Manageable and team control, as per Utah's demands, mean team options for extensions and versatility of contracts in the trade market.
For instance, any player who has been granted his rookie-extension that hasn't started yet can be subject to the "Poison Pill" provision if he is traded. This means if the Jazz acquire any such player, the cap hit on their books will be higher than the original team.
Whether or not the Jazz will pull off a trade of such magnitude remains to be seen.