Report: Raptors Among Several Teams to Express Interest in Donovan Mitchell

The Toronto Raptors are one of several teams to express interest in Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell though a deal remains unlikely

Aaron Rose | Jul 25, 2022

The Toronto Raptors have done their homework on Donovan Mitchell.

It's what you'd expect from a Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster-led front office in Toronto. The Raptors have "expressed interest" in Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. They join a laundry list of teams along with New York, Washington, Miami, Charlotte, Sacramento, and Atlanta to ask about Mitchell.

A deal with the New York Knicks appears to be the most likely option for the Jazz who are reportedly not in a rush to move the 25-year-old three-time All-Star, Charnia added. Mitchell has not officially registered a trade request, though the Jazz are listening to offers.

While Mitchell would certainly help buoy Toronto's lackluster half-court offense, his iffy defense and small stature suggest he likely isn't a fit for the Raptors. At 6-foot-1, it would be difficult to pair Mitchell alongside Fred VanVleet and maintain the kind of defensive integrity Toronto prides itself on.

Utah had previously inquired about OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. during talks surrounding Rudy Gobert, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. Toronto would likely have to part with one of the two wings along with multiple first-round draft picks in order to acquire Mitchell from the rebuilding Jazz. Based on Ujiri's season-ending press conference and his disinterest in big changes this summer, a deal of that magnitude seems highly unlikely.

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