Donovan Mitchell

The Jazz are reportedly receiving Lauri Markkanen, Ochair Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three first-round picks and two pick swaps in return.

Last season, Cleveland finished eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record. Mitchell still has three years left on a five-year, $163-million contract he signed with the Jazz, and a player-option for the 2025-26 season. At that point, the Jazz and Cavaliers re-assembled a trade they'd discussed in previous weeks, Wojnarowski says.

After five seasons in Utah, the Jazz have traded three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers.

Utah also lands a former top-10 pick in Markkanen (No. Donovan Mitchell 8 overall pick has reached a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jazz. Donovan Mitchell contract details 13 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft has exceeded all expectations to this point in his career, averaging 23.9 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Donovan Mitchell trade details

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat out the Toronto Raptors and acquired guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in a shocking trade.

Mitchell getting traded to the East stings. With Ujiri committed to building from the ground up with a very specific scheme, Mitchell was Mitchell averaged 26.1 points per game in the last two seasons, giving the Cavs the go-to scorer on the perimeter they needed. While [that trade didn’t come to fruition](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10047322-donovan-mitchell-trade-rumors-knicks-quentin-grimes-could-be-coveted-in-talks), Mitchell still ended up on a team who might make a run in the Eastern Conference. Three first-round picks will be heading to Utah in the deal, while the Jazz also gain control of two first-round pick swaps. Considering what a dominant scorer he could become in the right situation, it makes sense why Masai Ujiri was interested.

ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a true "Woj Bomb" on Thursday afternoon, announcing the Cleveland Cavaliers' acquisition of Mitchell in a massive ...

Very interested to see what Ainge got from the Cavs. I saw rumors and the Cavs as a target but I didn’t think this would happen!" "Wow!

The Cavaliers acquired guard Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz for three players and three first-round draft picks, according to multiple reports.

Markkanen, 25, averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 61 games last season, his first with the Cavaliers. Sexton, 23, played in just 11 games for the Cavaliers last season before undergoing season-ending surgery on his left knee. The trade of Mitchell, a three-time All-Star, signifies a full-on rebuilding project for the Jazz as they were unable to reach the Western Conference finals in recent seasons with Mitchell and star center Rudy Gobert on the roster. Agbaji, 22, was a first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2022 draft after being named an All-American at Kansas. Speculation all summer had Mitchell interested in being traded to his hometown New York Knicks. Utah will receive three unprotected first-round draft choices and two pick swaps.

Donovan Mitchell is headed east. The All-Star guard is on his way to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who acquired one of the NBA's best scorers Thursday in a ...

He's a proven scorer, but became expendable for Cleveland due to Garland's development and the club's talented frontline. The Jazz currently have three first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029. The Jazz now have at least 13 first-round picks, plus the two swaps that were part of this deal, over the next seven drafts. Mitchell, who averaged 25.9 points per game last season, will pair in Cleveland with All-Star point guard Darius Garland. Cleveland, though, jumped in and added a player that could push them into title contention. The Cavs are also giving up unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 and swapping picks in 2026 and 2028, said the person.

The Utah Jazz have reportedly traded All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Collin Sexton and multiple draft picks.

The Knicks' final offer for Mitchell reportedly included two unprotected first-round picks. The Utah Jazz have reportedly traded All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Utah also sent Patrick Beverley to the Los Angeles Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.

The All-Star guard is heading to Cleveland, while Utah rebuilds for the future.

The Jazz want to execute a full-blown tank, and this move brings this significantly closer to the No. Some things may have to break right, some teams may have to knock each other out, but it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. The city is not a free-agent destination. The Cavs acquired a top-25 player with three years left on his deal, surrendering the corresponding number of picks in today’s trade market to acquire such a talent. And both his and Garland’s shooting ability should allow them to seamlessly play off each other as long as they both commit to spending less time with the ball in their hands. The [Cavaliers acquired the three-time All-Star from the Jazz on Thursday](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/09/01/donovan-mitchell-traded-to-cavaliers-per-report), swooping in after [Utah’s extended dalliance with the Knicks](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/09/01/donovan-mitchell-knicks-trade-rumors-rj-barrett-extension).

After months of speculation, Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz finally found an unlikely suitor.

Getting zero protections on three first-round picks is a nice piece of negotiation, but the chances that those picks fall into the lottery seem slim given how young the Cavs' core is. He's one of the best at putting pressure on the rim and as a pure scorer. The Cavs still do have some serious issues at the wing. [20th in the regular season](https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&dir=-1&Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%20Season) last year, was devoid of that punch outside of Darius Garland's strong playmaking and shooting. The top four for the Cavs of Mitchell, Allen, Garland and Mobley are immediately one of the most electrifying in the league. After months of speculation, Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz finally found an unlikely suitor.

The Jazz will receive Collin Sexton, Lauri Markannen, Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps in the trade. Sexton, who entered the ...

Mitchell, who turns 26 next week, was selected by Utah 13th overall in the 2017 draft and quickly blossomed into one of the league’s best scorers, averaging a team-high 25.9 points last season. What’s more, the Knicks’ price for including Barrett, their top rising talent, in a deal for Mitchell was unclear. For weeks, Mitchell had been linked in rumors to the New York Knicks, who have been pursuing talent upgrades and possess a treasure chest of tradable assets that other teams might find hard to match. Meanwhile, Mobley and Allen form one of the NBA’s best interior defensive duos, helping to cover for Mitchell’s limitations on that end. That blockbuster move signaled Utah was eyeing a total rebuild, meaning Mitchell was probably the next domino to fall. After previously acquiring Walker Kessler, the 22nd pick in this year’s draft, in a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer, Utah will add the 22-year-old Agbaji, who was the 14th player selected.

Mitchell heads to Cleveland, while Collin Sexton joins Utah via a sign-and-trade deal.

He’s a proven scorer but he became expendable for Cleveland due to Garland’s development and the club’s talented frontline. There had been speculation for months that Mitchell might get moved, and it appeared the New York Knicks were the frontrunner for him. Cleveland, meanwhile, is looking to contend right now. Along with the Rudy Gobert trade with Minnesota, Utah has gathered 13 unprotected or lightly protected picks through 2029. [September 1, 2022] The Cavaliers will send three players, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps in return.

SI's panel of experts assesses both sides of the blockbuster Jazz-Cavs trade and reorders the best teams in the East.

For now, I’ll say they have the fifth-best chance to represent the conference in the Finals. But here’s the thing: For all his talent, Mitchell isn’t good enough to make the Knicks a consistent winner. Let's start with the bad: The Knicks had the chance to get an All-Star, a flashy, franchise-defining player with New York roots who wanted to play there, and … The Cavs aren’t in a position to go out and get a talent like Mitchell often. Danny Ainge got what he wanted, a cache of draft picks to add to the other cache of draft picks Utah got for Rudy Gobert. It’s not quite that simple, but if this was the price for Mitchell, I think the Knicks should’ve never signed Jalen Brunson and made this move instead. Ochai Agbaji is a solid scorer and defender who just went 14th in the draft. They are in position to bottom out—say goodbye to Mike Conley and Bogdan Bogdanovic in the near future—which will put them in the mix for Victor Wembanyama, the prize of the 2023 draft and the kind of player the Jazz could never attract otherwise. If they could have had a slew of New York’s picks, with similar protections and swaps, plus some of the Knicks’ young talent, I would’ve probably preferred that. The Mitchell-Garland backcourt is undersized, but that matters less when you have a pair of defensive monsters in Allen and Mobley protecting them. It was a core that could use more scoring and playmaking, and considering it isn't exactly a destination franchise, putting the chips in when there was a player available makes sense even if Spida isn't without flaws. This is potentially a top-five team in the East.

Mitchell is on his way to Cleveland, and the Knicks were smart not to overextend themselves.

Throw in a potential massive cap spike in 2025, when the new TV deal is set to kick in, and New York could also be a few years away from having something close to max space. Ultimately, had the Knicks been able to keep Barrett, I would've been in support of adding more unprotected picks to get Mitchell. Chances are, the Knicks would've really had to pile on the picks to trump the solid package of players Utah got from Cleveland. [Ochai Agbaji](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/players/3042389/ochai-agbaji/), three unprotected first-round picks and the right to two future pick swaps -- is a better deal that New York was reportedly offering. [Donovan Mitchell](/nba/players/2842760/donovan-mitchell/) was traded, seemingly out of the blue, to the [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/CLE/cleveland-cavaliers/) on Thursday, and the low-hanging fallout story for the [New York Knicks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/NY/new-york-knicks/) is going to be striking out on yet another superstar pursuit. But the wrong deal can impact a franchise just as significantly as the right one.

The New York Knicks, man. They just continue to be the team it's super easy to make fun of. We even joined in on the fun here on draft night when it was not ...

It’s true that they could’ve beaten any deal that went the Jazz’s way. Does it look good for the Knicks that it didn’t? The Knicks’ is not. Not just because it’s funny, but also because it’s the Knicks. But, at the same time, is Donovan Mitchell the player you want to actually use those picks on? The Jazz [ have a ton of picks](https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/donovan-mitchell-trade-grades-cavaliers-jazz) from their trade and everyone is happy.

The New York Knicks offered the Utah Jazz a package of three players, including RJ Barrett, and three unprotected first-round picks for shooting guard ...

Championship contention doesn't appear on the horizon, but the Knicks at least appear to be going in the right direction for once. Cleveland made the play-in tournament last year with a 44-38 record. At the start of trade talks in July, New York offered Utah a Donovan Mitchell package including RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and three unprotected first-round picks, sources tell ESPN.

It's been months of wondering where Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell would be starting the 2022-23 season, but all that speculation came to an end on ...

As trade talks started to heat up throughout the summer, it appeared the New York Knicks were the frontrunners to acquire one of the NBA's top scorers. [Cleveland Cavaliers](/basketball/nba/teams/cleveland-cavaliers/) in a blockbuster, and somewhat surprising, trade that sent three players and three unprotected first-round picks to the Jazz. [Donovan Mitchell](/basketball/nba/players/donovan-mitchell/879707) will start the 2022-23 season, but all that speculation came to an end on Thursday.

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell drives on Knicks forward RJ Barrett. With Mitchell headed to Cleveland, Barrett and the Knicks will look to continue to build with ...

It will be hard to watch the Cavs next season, to watch Mitchell thrive on a team that should fight for a top-five seed while the Knicks claw towards the play-in. The Cavs were in position to go all-in to get Mitchell because they spent the last four years drafting smart and trading shrewdly, building a team that was a Mitchell-level player away from being a contender. The Knicks have Brunson, a budding scorer in Dallas anxious for a bigger role. It’s that while Mitchell pushes the Cavs closer to a championship level, the cost of a Mitchell deal, long term, could have set the Knicks back. The Knicks have good young players. Would the Knicks have been better than the 37-win team that missed the playoffs last season? For decades the Knicks have been searching for basketball’s silver bullet, signing mediocre players to bloated contracts, dumping draft picks in ill-advised trades. Which may give the Knicks more staying power. That opened the door for Cleveland, a surprise play-in entry last season, to swoop in and make a deal. Would they have made the playoffs in a suddenly loaded Eastern Conference? [replied “SO TOUGH”](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/09/01/lebron-james-reacts-to-cavaliers-trading-for-donovan-mitchell)—a long, athletic front line and still solid supporting cast, have the pieces for a deep playoff run. The Cavs, armed with one of the NBA’s best backcourts—LeBron James, responding to a tweet about how tough a Mitchell-Darius Garland backcourt would be,

NBA Trades: The Cleveland Cavaliers make a big splash by acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, beating out the New York Knicks.

For the first half of last season, the Cavs were one of the biggest surprises in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs will now trot out a lineup that includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Mitchell, and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell was traded to the Cavs in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton (

Donovan Mitchell is headed to Cleveland as yet another All-Star leaves Utah. NBA Insider Kevin Pelton examines the deal from every angle.

It's possible Utah can get more for Bogdanovic in particular, entering the final season of his contract, now than as a midseason rental. Still, the Jazz have gone from two perennial All-Stars to zero, which should comfortably consign them to the lottery. Still, he's the Jazz's highest-drafted rookie since they acquired Mitchell (the 13th pick) in a draft-night trade. Lastly, Utah inherits the final three seasons of the contract Markkanen signed with Cleveland via sign-and-trade last summer. That's more annually than Cleveland had reportedly been willing to offer, though getting a fourth year could be beneficial to the Jazz. The Jazz added a second player drafted by another team in this year's first round, with No. They'd either have to trade Mitchell with limited leverage to recoup some value or risk him leaving outright in free agency during the summer of 2025. Beyond that, the success or failure of this trade hinges on Cleveland's ability to retain Mitchell beyond his 2025-26 player option. (If Cleveland misses the playoffs, that pick converts to second-rounders in 2025 and 2026.) It's realistic for the Cavaliers to emerge as legitimate contenders over the next three seasons. That kind of combination would surely be enough to make the playoffs outright, even in a more competitive Eastern Conference. Bickerstaff to stagger their minutes and ensure at least one is on the court at nearly all times.

New York reportedly put together a significant offer in its pursuit of the three-time NBA All-Star.

Cavs obtaining an all-star guard certainly a major summer talking point but the delicate job of developing a team has yet to unfold. The Jazz?

- About the only thing people are going to say about the Jazz is “they’ve sure amassed a lot of draft picks” and I tend to think that’s more of an indictment than praise. Precisely where they were last week and in May. The East is stacked, no question there; far more deep than the West and the regular season might be a dogfight. And that’s not even considering Brooklyn, which is another team that looks otherworldly on paper but is made up of such tenuous personalities that they could be in the toilet by Christmas. They were pretty good a year ago; they’re pretty good today.

Leon Rose and the New York Knicks held their ground … but then the Cleveland Cavaliers swooped in to make the deal they wouldn't.

He still has the pieces to trade for a star—though if he didn’t think Mitchell was one worth going all in for, he might find himself waiting a long time for a crack at one that is. [opened the door](https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1565428970073595904) for Cleveland—recently [considered out of the Mitchell sweepstakes](https://www.sny.tv/articles/knicks-cavaliers-leave-donovan-mitchell-trade-talks-update)—to step back in, make an offer, and [make Mitchell a Cavalier](https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/9/1/23333511/donovan-mitchell-trade-cleveland-cavaliers). Rose still has the flexibility and optionality to pursue other moves—say, attaching a pick to move Randle or Fournier, thus opening up more minutes for Toppin or Grimes, and more on-ball opportunities for Brunson and Barrett; he also has a head coach who might challenge him to a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match if he makes them. 4 seed](https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/4/23/22398160/new-york-knicks-julius-randle-rj-barrett-playoffs). And if, as many projected, the point of getting Mitchell in the door at MSG was to convince the next star (whoever that might be) to join him, would a Knicks team with its draft picks encumbered for the next half-decade, with $100 million devoted to the foursome of Mitchell, Randle, Brunson, and Robinson in 2023-24, and without the young players Utah would’ve taken for Mitchell still have enough in the cupboard to get such a deal done? And the prospect of changing that constitution returns us to that coach-vs.-front office question. [multiple](https://twitter.com/JakeLFischer/status/1565426561473552386) [reports](https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/1565428402437476353), Rose ultimately wouldn’t offer more than two unprotected firsts in a deal [that featured Barrett](https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/1565479573063622657). [last season’s top six](https://www.nba.com/standings), only Chicago seems like a decent bet to fall off. Would the resultant roster have a meaningful chance of competing for a championship—or, in a few years’ time, would the Knicks find themselves bumping up against the same good-but-not-great, second-round ceiling that Mitchell’s Jazz couldn’t break through? Maybe that would’ve been enough to get them into the next round of conversations for a star. When that deadline came and went, Rose stepped back from the bargaining table, [signed Barrett to a four-year, nine-figure contract extension](https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/8/30/23329337/rj-barrett-extension-donovan-mitchell-new-york-knicks), and sat tight, confident that Jazz CEO Danny Ainge wouldn’t find a more palatable deal in the weeks leading up to training camp. You’d have to squint awfully hard to look at what would be left in New York after a blockbuster deal—a starting five of Mitchell, Brunson, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and whichever wing player was still left on the roster—and see a similar sort of contender.

We round up a series of reports outlining what New York had been willing to give up for Mitchell.

Still, there’s a pretty consistent message that the Knicks were, at the very least, willing to trade Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, and some additional draft compensation for Mitchell. It’s worth noting that the Knicks themselves are likely to be one of the primary sources leaking these after-the-fact details. That’s a little hard to believe, given how many different versions of deals the two sides discussed, but it sounds like New York wasn’t interested in adding the second-year guard as a sweetener to offers that already included Barrett and significant draft capital. [Obi Toppin](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/toppiob01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), [Mitchell Robinson](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/robinmi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-) (via sign-and-trade), and three unprotected first-round picks. “They held back on best offers of picks and players and Danny got his three unprotected.” However, New York felt that price was too steep and decided to extend Barrett instead. [Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News](https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-donovan-mitchell-trade-cleveland-cavaliers-20220901-hrblkblupfgxrgng6zmgmst2ra-story.html): Here’s what a few key national and local reporters are saying: [via Twitter](https://twitter.com/NYPost_Berman/status/1565448351805489155)) that the Knicks withheld Grimes from all of their offers. [Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/donovan-mitchell-joins-ambitious-cavaliers-after-knicks-balk-at-parting-with-rj-barrett-quentin-grimes-234146474.html): [RJ Barrett](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barrerj01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), the Knicks balked at including [Quentin Grimes](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grimequ01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-) in a package that already featured Barrett, two unprotected first-round picks, the Bucks’ 2025 first-rounder (top-four protected), two second-round picks, two pick swaps, and a pair of expiring contracts from a third team. [Marc Berman of The New York Post](https://nypost.com/2022/09/01/jazz-trade-donovan-mitchell-to-cavaliers-as-knicks-dream-dies/):

Donovan Mitchell was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, we take a look at how this trade affects the Milwaukee Bucks.

What does Donovan Mitchell coming over to the Cavaliers mean for their head to head matchups with the Milwaukee Bucks? So Donovan Mitchell being traded to the Cavaliers means that the Milwaukee Bucks will have to face Mitchell twice as often, going from twice a year as a member of the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference, to now four times this season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bucks and new look Cavaliers will be well acquainted early in the season, two matchups in Milwaukee will take place on November 16th and 25th, with the other two matchups coming on December 21st and January 21st, those two games in Cleveland. Collin Sexton is a solid player and I’ll admit I’m happy to see Markkanen go because his size was effective guarding Khris Middleton for stretches when the Bucks and Cavaliers played. What does that have to do with the Milwaukee Bucks? It was announced Thursday that Donovan Mitchell was indeed traded, not to the New York Knicks as previously rumored, but to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sources: The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks and two pick swaps to the Utah Jazz for ...

[Malik Beasley](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/malik-beasley-yfU5XpdFccfejw6f/) and [Talen Horton-Tucker](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/talen-horton-tucker-BTRutYr7uDmgEReU/) are around. But defensively, they have [Evan Mobley](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/evan-mobley-W7q1n9hiubBbXJMk/) and [Jarrett Allen](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jarrett-allen-52csaKyJnLhhpzzw/) behind them and Cleveland zips past the Knicks with this trade. The Jazz would likely have had to take back bad money in the deal in the form of The Jazz also exit the offseason with two members of the 2022 NBA Draft’s first round in Agbaji, and Surely the Jazz would want to see what they have in Agbaji, but people like Clarkson, [Bojan Bogdanovic](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/bojan-bogdanovic-TtD4HPxVGnoaeLuy/), guard [Mike Conley](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/mike-conley-ATGxUh1i1HZNS4FM/) and guard [Jordan Clarkson](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jordan-clarkson-lZN2TqEprnwssIGM/). The Jazz liked that offer but wanted to continue negotiating with the Knicks, with whom they were still in talks. The negotiation with the Knicks had been a long and winding road that led to nowhere. Even as negotiations broke off Monday night, sources say the Knicks believed the Jazz would come back to the table, with the belief that the Knicks had the best package for Mitchell, coupled with the belief that the Jazz had no other options on the market. The Knicks were seen as heavy favorites to land Mitchell, and as perhaps the only team in the league with the kind of assets capable of prying him from the Jazz. [Julius Randle](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/julius-randle-ZOBqK4RMFKL7YI2Q/), [their power forward who is from the Dallas area](https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1515394406349774852?s=20&t=KBwBxb88PfWx06E_u52hDQ). From the Cavs, the Jazz will receive the kind of package they had been seeking for much of the negotiation with the Knicks.

The Eastern Conference just got a whole lot better. Coming off of a surprising season that saw them win 44 games and compete for a playoff spot, ...

Garland, Mitchell and Allen recently signed extensions, and Mobley will be under team control for nearly a decade. Basically, the Eastern Conference is going to be a dog fight. Allen, 24, and Mitchell, 25, are the oldest of the group, and yet they're both under 26. Garland proved to be one of the best point guards in the NBA last season and won't turn 23 years old until January. [doesn't exactly have the best defensive reputation](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/mavericks-jazz-luka-doncic-nba-playoff-defense/zrj7wggrryez7rxvwvbie7sd) — neither does Garland for that matter — he's now going to be playing next to not one, but two elite defenders in the frontcourt. Again, they're losing a lot of size in swapping the 6-foot-11 Markkanen for the 6-foot-1 Mitchell, but Mobley and Allen were the primary reason they were so stingy on that end of the court. The Heat will probably feel the loss of PJ Tucker, but count them out at your own risk. Markkanen gave the Cavaliers size and shooting, but Mitchell is a far superior shooter and an elite on-ball creator. Defensively, the Cavaliers were dominant last season. Garland filling the point guard duties will allow Mitchell to do what he does best — get buckets. [20th out of 30 teams in offensive efficiency](http://nba.com/stats/teams/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&dir=-1&Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%20Season) last season. Garland and Allen were both named All-Stars last season while Mobley finished second in Rookie of Year voting.

The Jazz officially entered full rebuild mode after sending All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, ...

But if the Spurs wanted to package their pick with the Hornets pick and one of Atlanta's future first-rounders, they could make an enticing deal to try and acquire the first overall pick next season. [that deal looks even better considering the state of affairs in Brooklyn](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nets-future-draft-picks-kevin-durant-trade-request-rockets-james-harden/xckhkkk5wr7j1vmxlcg1dz2k), where Harden no longer plays. At the time, their return of three first-round picks and four first-round pick swaps already seemed like a great return for a player who no longer had an interest in playing for the franchise. It only took one offseason for him to completely blow up everything Utah previously had in place. Acquiring a combined seven first-round picks and two pick swaps in trades for those two All-Stars, the Jazz now have a serious war chest of draft capital to play with when it comes to making an offer to land next year's No. But the Thunder could get really reckless (shrewd?) and offer a trade that other franchises simply cannot match. I can't think of a better way to maximize their assets than packaging as many picks as it takes to ensure they land Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick, the team that finished with the worst record has yet to win the lottery. Without getting too lost in the weeds of protections, here's a closer look at the four leading contenders to land 2023's ultimate prize.e With all of that being said, it's no longer as simple as trying to tank your way to the No. In 2019, the Pelicans won the lottery with a long shot six percent chance. You could make an argument for Zion Williamson or Anthony Davis, but Wembanyama certainly has a case as the most-hyped NBA prospect since LeBron James.

ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst says when Donovan Mitchell learned of his trade to Cleveland, he "went screaming around the golf course."

And he was playing golf when he got word of the deal. The teams also swapped two other draft picks. He’s extremely excited in this moment.

Instead, the three-time All-Star was traded to the Cavaliers in a stunning deal ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.

The Knicks even had the assets the Jazz " [preferred](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34502825/sources-cleveland-cavaliers-trade-3-first-round-picks-two-swaps-utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchell)" in a trade. However, the Knicks weren't prepared to give up the slew of picks the Jazz were looking for and " [balked](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34502825/sources-cleveland-cavaliers-trade-3-first-round-picks-two-swaps-utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchell)" on including Quentin Grimes in a trade with RJ Barrett. Again, Utah wanted more — one more unprotected pick, multiple draft swaps and possibly another young player, per Charania. [Did Cavaliers or Jazz win Donovan Mitchell trade?](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/donovan-mitchell-trade-grades-cavaliers-jazz/ocfrkgzxiaphqpdrs71aizeh) [According to Wojnarowski](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6giEYS9A_CU), the Jazz never called the Knicks back to give them a chance to top the Cavaliers' offer. Here's what we know. [revealed](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34502825/sources-cleveland-cavaliers-trade-3-first-round-picks-two-swaps-utah-jazz-star-donovan-mitchell) that the Knicks and Jazz discussed a deal in early July that would've included Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and three unprotected first-round picks.