The Utah Jazz traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Ochair Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first round picks and two pick swaps, according to ESPN senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Here’s a look at how the final Donovan Mitchell trade deal compares to rumored deals that emerged over the summer when the Jazz were engaged in trade talks with the New York Knicks:
July 13
The first report that linked the Jazz and New York Knicks together as potential trade partners came on July 13.
It said the asking price for Mitchell would certainly be steep, but noted that the Knicks have eight first-round picks at their disposal. NBA insider Ian Begley wrote that “teams monitoring the situation believe the Jazz currently are prioritizing draft picks in a return for Mitchell.”
Besides the draft picks, The Athletic’s Shams Charania mentioned New York has “stockpiled young players, such as Quentin Grimes who is believed to be of interest to Utah, sources said.”
“The Miami Heat have interest in Mitchell but, with only two first-round draft picks eligible to be traded, would likely have to “engage a third team in a trade to supply the Jazz with the draft compensation needed for them to feel motivated enough to trade Mitchell.”
Miami wanted to include Tyler Herro as the centerpiece of its offer to the Jazz, per NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin.
July 25
“The Utah Jazz and the New York Knicks have been involved in trade talks around the three-time All-Star, but the teams are still “far from an agreement,” Charania said on July 25.
Charania reported that the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks have “expressed interest” in Mitchell, but the Jazz still have a high asking price for Mitchell and are staying patient.”
July 29
Charania reported that trade talks between the Knicks and Jazz had entirely “stalled out.”
Aug. 5
A HoopsHype article contained a nugget about a trade conversation that reportedly happened a few weeks ago and involved the Jazz, Knicks and a third team — the Los Angeles Lakers.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported the trade scenario would:
- Send Russell Westbrook to Utah, where he’d get bought out.
- Send Mitchell to the Knicks.
- Send a combination of two Jazz players — among them Patrick Beverley, Jordan Clarkson, Bojan Bogdanovic or Malik Beasley — to the Lakers.
- Give the Jazz “significant draft pick compensation from the Knicks and Lakers.”
To make it work, New York would need to part ways with veterans, like Derrick Rose, for instance, to make the finances work, according to Scotto.
Aug. 16
Charania and The Athletic’s Tony Jones reported that the Jazz and New York Knicks have reengaged in trade talks that involve All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell.
There has been trade conversation between the two franchises within the past week, The Athletic reported, while adding, “There is no traction between the two teams on a deal, and no Mitchell trade is imminent for the Jazz, sources said.”
Aug. 22
The Athletic reported that one offer the Knicks have presented the Jazz was Evan Fournier (helps salary requirement), Obi Toppin (young player), “additional salary,” two unprotected first-round picks and three other first-round draft picks.
The Athletic reported, as it had multiple times, that the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards remain potential suitors for Mitchell.
Aug. 25
Jones reported that Utah has multiple trade offers for Mitchell from teams outside of the New York Knicks “that they deem intriguing and worth pursuing,” a possible avenue the Jazz could explore if talks stall between the Jazz and Knicks.
Jones also said that while Mitchell hasn’t asked to be traded, he reportedly has three preferred destinations if he is: the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat.
“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,” Jones wrote.
“The Heat simply don’t have the assets that the Jazz are looking for, which makes that destination unlikely.”
That, of course, leads back to the Knicks — news about New York and Utah engaging in trade discussions involving Mitchell have dominated the airwaves the past several weeks — and “the Knicks have the assets that the Jazz seek, which has made them a natural potential trade partner.”
Aug. 26
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the Jazz were pushing to get a deal done before players report to camp at the end of September.
The Utah Jazz technically have until the February trade deadline to move Donovan Mitchell this season, but the team is hoping to trade him much sooner than that, Windhorst said in the latest episode of his podcast,
Aug. 29
With less than a month to go until NBA training camps open, and with the reported belief that the Utah Jazz want to trade Donovan Mitchell before then, Substack’s Marc Stein reported that “there’s a decent chance that the Lakers will be involved in the deal.”
Stein reported that this could be the case whether or not the New York Knicks end up being the team that acquires Mitchell.
“The two future first-round picks that the Lakers possess in 2027 and 2029 are the kind of top-shelf draft picks that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is believed to covet,” Stein wrote. “Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract and those picks could be the Lakers’ entree to a potential three-team swap ... depending on the players that would land in Los Angeles.”
Stein continued that “The Lakers, I’m told, continue to hold firm on their position that they will agree to surrender both of their future firsts in the same deal only if the trade makes them a certified contender,” and then he rhetorically asked if Utah forward Bojan Bogdanovic and New York wing Evan Fournier would make Los Angeles a contender.