NBA news: Is it time for Donovan Mitchell and Utah Jazz to part ways?
- Tyler Vaysman
- 4 May 2022
According to recent reports, Rudy Gobert is set to give the Utah Jazz bosses a “him or me” ultimatum as he looks to distance himself from teammate Donovan Mitchell.
While Gobert denied those rumours, there's been some reported tension between the two players over the past couple of years.
There's also been plenty of buzz that suggests that Mitchell - who is an Elmsford, New York native - does not want to spend his entire career in Utah, despite being under contract until the 2026 off-season.
Mitchell has established himself as one of the premier scorers in the NBA, with his ability to create his own shot from three, in the mid-range, and at the basket.
He has been in the play-offs every year of his career, but has never made it past the second round.
Furthermore, his averages sunk significantly in this year's post-season, as he averaged 25.5 points on just 39.8 percent shooting, including 20.8 percent from three.
Gobert likely wouldn't give Jazz the win-now player they're seeking in a trade. The team may be able to get a few role players, but the real asset will be the draft picks, considering the holes on this roster are still glaring.
Mike Conley is only getting older and may be best served as a back-up point guard on a contender at this stage of his career.
Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson are reliable scorers, but they're best served as a third or fourth scoring option on a contending team.
What the Jazz are also missing is a reliable defender on the wings, as Dallas Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson had their way against them in their first round series.
Potential suitors
The New York Knicks could be a potential destination for Mitchell, given his local ties to the area. What's more, he wanted the Knicks to draft him back in 2017.
It would likely take the Knicks parting with RJ Barrett for this deal to come to fruition, but if you're the Knicks and you have a chance to acquire a borderline superstar player, you simply have to go for it.
The Miami Heat are also a team that could potentially make sense for Mitchell, as the Heat could use a go-to scorer to help take the load off of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
The Heat have a bunch of 3-point shooters surrounding their duo, but having Mitchell's shot creation in addition to his shooting will go a long way to elevate this team as a legitimate threat to win a championship.
