Getty Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz drives into Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns
The Kevin Durant trade saga is finally over, but that hasn’t stopped the Brooklyn Nets from being a team constantly mentioned in trade talks. Durant and the Nets agreed to move forward with their partnership despite the All-Star demanding a trade from the franchise on June 30.
But the Nets now find themselves jumbled in another trade saga. This time with Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell who has listed Brooklyn as one of his preferred landing spots if he were to be moved per Tony Jones of “The Athletic”.
“As of Thursday morning, the Jazz have multiple offers on the table for Mitchell from teams other than the Knicks that they deem intriguing and worth pursuing, according to sources.They are offers, sources say, that the Jazz feel are worth pursuing, should talks between Utah and the Knicks stall,” Jones wrote on August 25.
“Mitchell hasn’t asked for a trade from the Jazz, according to sources. But, if he were to be traded, sources say, his preferred destination would be one of three places: the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets, or the Miami Heat.”
Donovan Mitchell hasn’t asked for a trade from the Jazz, per @Tjonesonthenba
“If he were to be traded, sources say, his preferred destination would be one of three places: the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets, or the Miami Heat”
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Mitchell & Simmons Can’t Be on the Same Roster
But like when they tried to trade Durant earlier this summer, landing Mitchell would be a tough deal for the Nets to execute. Kyrie Irving would be a tough trade chip to swing because he is on an expiring contract as he is set to hit the free agent market in 2023, and nobody knows what his plans are.
Jones also notes that Mitchell and Ben Simmons cannot be on the same roster. The reason for that is because the two All-Stars are both on rookie max extensions, and teams can only have one such contract on their roster. With Simmons not having played in the NBA in well over a year, the chances of a rebuilding Jazz team taking on his contract are very bleak.
“Mitchell can’t be traded to the Nets as long as Ben Simmons is on the roster, which makes that destination unlikely, and now even more unlikely with Kevin Durant staying put.
The Heat simply don’t have the assets that the Jazz are looking for, which makes that destination unlikely. The Knicks have the assets that the Jazz seek, which has made them a natural potential trade partner. But, as of Thursday morning, the two sides aren’t close to a deal,” Jones adds.
“The Jazz, sources say, remain steadfast on what they want in return if they were to trade Mitchell. They want a bushel of unprotected first-round picks. They want young players on manageable contracts that come with a significant amount of team control.”
Gobert Deal Changed Course of Durant’s Trade Request
Ironically, the Jazz may be the reason the Durant trade never happened, as their offseason trade that sent All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves had an apparent ripple effect.
The Timberwolves sending a gargantuan number of first-round picks to Utah increased the Nets’ asking price for Durant in potential trades.
Gobert, a 3-time defensive player of the year, is a star in his own right. But with all due respect, Durant is a much better player, and thus the trade packages for KD needed to be substantially better than they were for Gobert. It was a requirement that other teams were unwilling to adhere to, which contributed to Durant remaining in Brooklyn.
Already loaded with talent, the Nets’ roster is in a pristine position to compete for a title.
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