SALT LAKE CITY — During a recent episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” former NBA player Kendrick Perkins was asked if Donovan Mitchell needs to leave the Utah Jazz to win a title.
Perkins emphatically replied, “No.”
“He better sit still and keep a cool booty. Donovan Mitchell is in a great situation in Utah. He has the right pieces around him. The Utah Jazz has done a great job as an organization in putting this guy in a position to be successful,” Perkins said.
It’s worth noting that Mitchell’s first contract decision is still a long ways off. He’s in the third year of his four-year rookie deal with the Jazz. In 2021, Mitchell will be a restricted free agent and eligible for a maximum contract by the Jazz, which means it would be 2026 before he is an unrestricted free agent.
Perkins is taking note of the team being built around Mitchell.
“When you talk about a guy like Rudy Gobert, who's a top-three center in the league, when you look at Joe Ingles, who’s one of my favorite players in the NBA. When they added (Bojan) Bogdanovic this offseason from the Pacers, that’s a big pickup.
“They brought in Mike Conley to take some of that slack off Donovan Mitchell, but the lack of production by Conley has been kind of terrible this season, he hasn’t found his niche,” Perkins said.
Perkins also highlighted the production of Jordan Clarkson.
“If I’m Donovan Mitchell, I’m staying put. The ball is in his hands, they go to him down the stretch,” Perkins said.