Getty Danny Ainge, formerly of the Boston Celtics.
After the Utah Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, there had been plenty of trade rumors involving their other star Donovan Mitchell. For weeks, there had been trade rumors between the Jazz and the New York Knicks regarding Mitchell. Former Boston Celtics Head of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has finally pulled off a trade, but Mitchell will not be going to the Knicks.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Jazz have agreed to trade Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Donovan Mitchell in a trade, sources tell ESPN.
Wojnarowski then provided the full trade details. In return for Mitchell, Utah is acquiring Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks, and two pick swaps.
Full trade: Utah is trading Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland for Lauri Markkanen, Ochair Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps, sources tell ESPN.
Wojnarowski also added that Sexton agreed to join the Jazz on a sign-and-trade.
Sexton has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to join Utah, sources said.
Shams Charania of The Athletic added the details of Sexton’s new deal with the Jazz: four years, $72 million, and the deal is fully guaranteed.
In a way, this also indirectly ties back to the Celtics, as Sexton was chosen with the 2018 Brooklyn Nets draft pick that Ainge sent to the Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving, and now Ainge has re-acquired him with his new team.
Ainge’s Asset Haul During the 2022 Offseason
After trading Gobert and Mitchell, Ainge has acquired the following players and assets for the two all-star players.
The full haul the Jazz got for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert:
Malik Beasley
Leandro Bolmaro
Walker Kessler (No.22 pick)
Jarred Vanderbilt
Collin Sexton
Lauri Markkanen
Ochai Agbaji (No.14 pick)
Talen Horton-Tucker
Stanley Johnson
7 1st round picks
3 1st round picks swaps
Ainge’s work is reminiscent of the same work he did for the Celtics after trading away Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Doc Rivers, among the many others that he traded away from 2013 to 2015.
Those trades were what directly landed him Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in consecutive drafts. Trading away Garnett and Pierce in 2013 made the Celtics one of the worst teams in the league record-wise during the 2013-14 season, which got them Marcus Smart the following draft.
All signs point to the Jazz trying to get a high lottery pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft after trading away Mitchell and Gobert, both of whom made multiple all-star teams during their time with the Jazz.
Following the trade, it appears Mitchell is excited to play for his new team.
Ainge is Not Done Trading
After Wojnarowski reported the full details of the Donovan Mitchell trade, he later added that the Jazz still have veterans who are coveted around the league, like Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and Bojan Bogdanovic, while keeping who they acquired for Mitchell.
“Utah still has coveted veteran trade assets, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Mike Conley Jr. They’ll approach an Oklahoma City-esque haul of draft assets once they’re done dealing. Jazz consider Markkanen, Sexton, and Agbaji keepers for their rebuilding roster.”
Utah still has coveted veteran trade asserts, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley Jr. They’ll approach an Oklahoma City-esque haul of draft assets once they’re done dealing. Jazz consider Markkanen, Sexton and Agbaji keepers for their rebuilding roster.
In his four-year NBA career, Sexton has averaged 20 points, three rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.8 steals a game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three. Sexton only played 11 games for the Cavaliers during the 2021-22 season before suffering a season-ending meniscus tear.
Before the Mitchell trade happened, there had been rumors that the Jazz were interested in acquiring Sexton, but not in a trade for Mitchell. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported on his podcast, “Please Don’t Aggregate This,” that some Jazz members wanted to pair him with Mitchell on August 2.
“I do know there was a faction of folks in Utah who were very curious about the idea of going out and getting Collin Sexton, pairing him with Donovan before they started really listening to calls,” Fischer said.