Utah Jazz Might Fast Track Donovan Mitchell Trade to Sixers Rival

The Utah Jazz are rumored to be pushing for Sixers rival, the New York Knicks, to trade for Donovan Mitchell sooner than later.

At the start of the offseason, several stars across the NBA were rumored to be on the move. The two most notable trade chips in the Western Conference were Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz.

In the Eastern Conference, all eyes were on the Brooklyn Nets’ star duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. At this point, it seems Irving and Durant will stay put for the time being as the Nets are no longer pressured to make franchise-altering moves.

The same can’t be said for Utah, who already shipped out one of their most significant stars as they traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Is Mitchell next? The Jazz initially intended to re-tool the roster around the All-Star guard. Then, the narrative changed as they started taking calls for Mitchell.

The All-Star’s market has been hot and cold throughout the offseason as Utah seemed willing to hold onto the guard, at least for the entire 2022-2023 season. However, ESPN’s NBA Insider Brian Windhorst hinted that Utah might fast track a Mitchell trade as training camp approaches.

Utah is Looking to Make a Deal

“It sounds to me in talking to people around the league that the Jazz want to try to go even sooner than [the season opener],” said Windhorst, regarding a Mitchell trade. “They want to go before training camp.”

Utah has gotten trade-happy lately. After moving Gobert for a haul of players and picks, the Jazz flipped one of their more notable acquisitions, Patrick Beverley, for Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.

They seemingly are attempting to keep the trade ball rolling as Mitchell remains on the roster.

A Sixers Rival is in Play

The Philadelphia 76ers might’ve had an interest in Donovan Mitchell early on in the 2022 offseason, but the move to acquire De’Anthony Melton from Memphis and the re-signing of James Harden drove the Sixers out of the picture.

Now, Philly’s division rival, the New York Knicks, will be key players in the Mitchell market. Once the Jazz prioritized another haul of picks for Mitchell, it became clear that the Knicks were the best-suited team to meet Utah’s asking price.

Per Windhorst, the Knicks remain on the Jazz’s radar.

 “It does sound as I talk to folks in the league that the Jazz are trying to apply the gas here,” Windhorst continued. “[They want to] try to juice the offer, especially juice the offer from the New York Knicks.”

Landing a player like Mitchell makes the Knicks better on paper, but it’s unclear if his presence would significantly boost their championship odds.

Two years ago, the Knicks notched a spot in the playoffs for the first time since the 2013 postseason. After losing 4-1 to the Atlanta Hawks, the Knicks were hopeful to come back stronger in 2021-2022.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, they finished the year with a 37-45 record, placing them 11th in the Eastern Conference. A trade for Mitchell might help the Knicks land a spot in the playoffs next season, but the Sixers likely won’t find the Knicks as much of a threat. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.