Jazz Donovan Mitchell Trade: Where the Key Components Are Now

The dust has settled two-years later in the Donovan Mitchell trade.

Jan 10, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates after scoring a three point basket against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports / Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

The Utah Jazz have entered year three of the blockbuster exchange that saw Donovan Mitchell shipped to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason of 2022. There's still some basketball to be played and draft picks to be made before we can declare a winner, but there has been enough time to take a peek at where the key components of the trade are trending.

Let's examine the trade itself and what the players have been doing since the exchange that changed the Jazz's trajectory.

Donovan Mitchell

May 11, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) stands on the court in the second quarter of game three of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The centerpiece of the blockbuster deal was able to strong-arm his way out of Salt Lake City, and so far, it's been a good move for the former Jazzman. In his first year as a Cavalier, Mitchell posted a career-high in points, Field Goal percentage, and 3-point FG %. However, the Cavaliers had a disappointing run in the playoffs and were eliminated in the first round.

Mitchell had another stellar season in his second year with the Cavs and made it to the second round of the NBA playoffs before getting beaten by Boston Celtics. Mitchell was rewarded with an extension worth 150 million dollars spread over the next three seasons.

Mitchell's re-signing with the Cavs was somewhat of a surprise, and a homecoming to play in New York never came to fruition. The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of a rebuild, and the New York Knicks moved on from the trade rumors that were centered around Mitchell during his time with the Jazz.

Lauri Markkanen

Mar 27, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) brings the ball up the court against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Markkanen is the hands-down winner of the Mitchell trade. The former lottery pick out of the University of Arizona showcased the reasons why he was selected seventh overall in the 2017 draft. In a Jazz uniform, Markkann earned his first All-Star appearance and has had career highs in points, assists, and minutes played.

The Jazz signed Markkanen to a massive extension this summer worth 238 million dollars over five years. Despite never participating in the NBA playoffs, Markkanen will attempt to bring Utah back to relevance. He's off to an incredible start, but the Jazz are still a couple of years away from getting back into the playoff conversation.

Collin Sexton

Apr 5, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

After an up-and-down first season with the Jazz, Sexton had arguably his best year as a pro in his second season in Salt Lake City. The former No. 8 overall pick out of Alabama led the Jazz in games played with 78 and was arguably Utah's most efficient player,

Sexton shot 48.7% form the field while knocking down 39.4% of his three-point shots. Even though Sexton has shined in a Jazz uniform, it still remains to be seen whether he's a fit for the long-term. His contract expires after the 2025-26 season and it feels like a coin flip on whether he re-signs, or used as a trade piece in an exchange moving forward.

Ochai Agbaji

Apr 12, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) brings the ball up the court as Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) defends during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Agbaji showed some promise in his two seasons in Salt Lake City, but the Jazz decided to part ways in his second year at the trade deadline in an exchange with the Toronto Raptors. In return for Agbaji, the Jazz received a 2024 first-round pick that netted Isaiah Collier.

In 27 games with Toronto, Agbaji averaged a modest 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Time will tell on whether Collier can make a name for himself in a Jazz uniform.

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