Jazz Haul in Donovan Mitchell Trade Starting to Take Shape

Did the Utah Jazz come out on top?

Jan 10, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and Utah / Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the Utah Jazz are two years removed from the blockbuster Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades in the summer of 2022, it’s a good time to see where those exchanges are trending.

First, let’s look at the Mitchell trade, and next week, we can switch gears to the Gobert trade. Here’s a review of what Utah received in the deal.

• Collin Sexton
• Lauri Markkanen
• Ochai Agbaji
• 2025 first-round pick
• 2026 pick swap
• 2027 first-round pick
• 2028 pick swap
• 2029 first-round pick

So far, this exchange has been good for Utah. Assuming Markkanen signs an extension this summer, the Jazz are ahead in this one. Straight up, Mitchell is a more impactful player than Markkanen, but the Jazz were going to lose Mitchell regardless.

Then you add Sexton into the mix and the Jazz win even without the draft picks being added. Sexton has emerged as a bonafide starter in year two in Salt Lake City and is under contract through the 2025-26 season.

Regarding Utah's future draft compensation they’ll be receiving, it doesn’t appear that these picks are lottery-bound yet. Rebuilding won’t be an option for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Utah having either their pick-or-pick swap through the 2029 season. Expect the Cavs to attempt to go all-in for playing in the postseason moving forward.

There’s been a ton of chatter about Mitchell not wanting to be in Cleveland, but the Cavaliers could cut their losses via trade before Mitchell hits the free-agent market. They may not recoup what they gave up for Mitchell, but he won’t be cheap either. 

However, taking Mitchell off the Cavaliers roster does sting. The Cavaliers were 12-15 this season without him in the lineup, but since Mitchell isn’t a free agent until 2025, they'll have time to replenish their roster.

All-Star guard Darius Garland is under club control through 2028, Evan Mobley is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Jarrett Allen is an unrestricted free agent in 2026. This gives Cleveland a foundation where they might not be title contenders, but they’re not bottom dwellers. Barring injury, they’re a fringe playoff team, even without Mitchell in the fold. 

If you take the assets that Cleveland can recoup if they trade Mitchell and add it to what they already have, you then have a franchise that will be competitive for the foreseeable future. The way I see it, the 2025-2028 picks are trending to be in the 15-25 range.

The 2029 pick has the best shot of being lottery-bound due to Garland becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2028 and Cleveland being unable to build through the draft because of what’s owed to Utah. That said, a lot can happen between now and 2029. It would be premature to get too excited about the 2029 selection. 

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