Sixers’ Georges Niang Reacts to Donovan Mitchell Trade
Like most NBA fans and players, Philadelphia 76ers veteran Georges Niang was on social media on Thursday afternoon checking out the league’s latest big move.
After months of speculation that the Utah Jazz could trade their star guard Donovan Mitchell, they finally found a trade suitor willing to part ways with a desired package.
The Jazz sent Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In exchange, Utah landed Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, and Collin Sexton, who inked a brand new four-year deal in the process. In addition, the Jazz netted three first-round picks and will swap two future selections with the Cavs.
Georges Niang Reacts
Not too long ago, Niang was a member of the Jazz himself. After Niang spent one season on the Indiana Pacers’ roster as a second-round pick in 2016, Niang landed with the Jazz, working his way up onto the main roster from a two-way contract and splitting time in the G League.
Eventually, Niang became a key reserve coming off Utah’s bench. For a few seasons, Niang was on Utah’s roster with their now-former star duo, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.
After the Jazz struggled to make a significant impact in the playoffs this past postseason, Utah started moving in a different direction and is clearly embarking on a rebuild.
Their first big move this offseason was to trade away the All-Star big man, Rudy Gobert. After sending Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah’s front office focused on dealing away Mitchell for a haul.
It took a while, but the Jazz finally found a package they liked. Now, Utah is loaded with draft picks for years to come and will be one of the latest NBA teams to signal a full-on rebuild, similar to the Sixers’ Sam Hinkie era, where they prioritized building on a future rather than competing for a title immediately.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
