Should Donovan Mitchell consider leaving Utah Jazz after Quin Snyder's exit? Which teams can afford him?
In the wake of Quin Snyder's surprise departure from the Utah Jazz, franchise cornerstone Donovan Mitchell has been heavily affected by this news.
The situation in Salt Lake City has been turbulent, to say the least. With the glaring issues between Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, alongside the rumors surrounding Snyder's departure, a toxic situation arose.
However, the first domino to fall may see Utah collapse altogether. After a seemingly competitive eight-year tenure, Quin Snyder announced his departure from the Jazz.
While this came as a shock to many considering he had one more year on his contract, Donovan Mitchell hasn't taken the news well.
As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
ESPN Sources: In aftermath of Quin Snyder’s departure as Utah Jazz coach, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is described as “unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future.”es.pn/3GQDUtM
Wojnarowski also mentioned that Mitchell considered Snyder to be a big part of his decision to sign the five-year max extension with the Utah Jazz. With the former coach out of the picture, the 25-year old is reportedly "surprised and disappointed" with the outcome.
Although the superstar has reportedly accepted Snyder's decision to leave the franchise, the overall impact it has on his future raises some concerns.
With four years left on his contract and a player option in the last one, Mitchell is virtually entering his prime years without the coach of his choice. While also considering the toxic state of affairs with his running mate Rudy Gobert, the situation doesn't look good for the Jazz superstar.
What could be next for Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz?
Donovan Mitchell is an incandescent talent stuck in an unfortunate situation. Although talks of a trade have surfaced numerous times this season, Utah has expressed interest in building with him as the cornerstone.
Should Mitchell ask to be traded, the situation would be different. However, given his strained relationship with Gobert, the Utah Jazz will have to take a call on who they want to build around.
Mitchell is currently on a five-year max contract. With four years and $135 million left to be paid, any team looking to acquire the Jazz superstar will have to jump through some significant hoops to make a deal work.
Bearing this in mind, we look at some potential destinations for him.
Miami Heat
One of the first teams that comes to mind when considering Donovan Mitchell is the Miami Heat. While the Heat have expressed some interest in acquiring the Jazz star, the overall appeal remains sentimental.
Mitchell idolized Dwyane Wade. Although Wade is a part-owner of the Utah Jazz, he made his name as a player with the Heat. This could be a potential reason for the 25-year old to seek out the sunny beaches of Miami.
The financial side of this aspect is a little more complicated. Considering Mitchell's current cap hold at $30.3 million, the Heat would have to get really creative with their trade chips.
The two potential pieces could be Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro. Herro could potentially look at being valued as a starting guard considering his spectacular season.
With a sign-and-trade increasing his value significantly, the Utah Jazz could look into making that trade while asking for a few picks in the process.
With help from Dwyane Wade the Miami Heat could obtain Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz by first offering Duncan Robinson and a couple of first round picks. The Heat may have to include Tyler Herro but money wise, Duncan makes sense. https://t.co/ZnLkTzJZAo
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have also been named as a potential landing spot for Donovan Mitchell. While Miami emerges as the frontrunner sentimentally, New York has received a lot of attention.
Given the sheer depth of guards on their roster, the Knicks have several trading chips in place to make a move for the Jazz superstar.
A trade to make this work could see Evan Fournier and Alec Burks come to Utah along with a pick. Considering that New York still has guard depth, they may opt to send Kemba Walker over as well. This would see the Utah Jazz package Mitchell with Nickeil Alexander-Walker in return.
The overall appeal behind this deal lies in the potential pairing of RJ Barrett and Donovan Mitchell. While the offensive upside shows a lot of potential, the question of Julius Randle deferring to Mitchell demands more attention.
Unfortunately, many believe the deal remains unlikely considering Miami's overall appeal. With Utah desiring an All-Star for their All-Star, New York has little to offer.
A Donovan Mitchell trade involving the Knicks and Jazz remains ‘highly unlikely,’ per @JakeLFischer
People around the NBA believes a potential offer from Miami that would theoretically center around Tyler Herro and multiple first-round picks would trump New York’s best offer https://t.co/oBH3UKMZpD
Cleveland Cavaliers
This may be the most wildly unlikely trade scenario for the Utah Jazz, but trading Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers may not be such a bad idea.
A potential package from Cleveland could see Caris LeVert and Collin Sexton come to Utah for Mitchell and Juancho Hernangomez to make salary matches to some extent.
The issue with this deal lies in Sexton's situation and Garland's extension.
Collin Sexton has expressed his demand to be paid more as this season was a contract year. However, given his status as a restricted free agent, there will be some problems that arise with this trade.
Similarly, Darius Garland is due for a huge pay rise. The Utah Jazz wouldn't be content with just some side pieces. With Garland being a far more likely trade target, the Jazz may ask for Garland and Isaac Okoro for Mitchell and a second-round pick.
Cleveland were a competitive team in the regular-season. A stroke of bad luck with injuries saw them suffer in the playoffs, but the side has potential. Although unlikely, a tandem of Mitchell and Evan Mobley could be an exciting prospect for the Cavaliers.
At the current juncture, it seems irrational for the Utah Jazz to send Mitchell to a team in the West. Considering the number of teams with the cap space to absorb Mitchell as well, there are several landing spots available.
Initial candidates for the Utah Jazz head coaching job: Johnnie Bryant, Alex Jensen, Terry Stotts, Will Hardy, Adrian Griffin
With Snyder out of the question, Utah have also started their pursuit of a new head coach. With several familiar names floating in the ether, the arrival of a new coach could spell a settlement or departure for Donovan Mitchell.