The Utah Jazz made a bold move on Friday after sending Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves via trade. All eyes are on Donovan Mitchell right now, as his future with the club is up in the air. The franchise claims they plan to keep him around, but there are rumblings they're open to negotiating him in trades as well. With that in mind, we look at three reasons why the Jazz must keep Donovan Mitchell and build around him.
At the end of the day, Mitchell is one of the best shooting guards in the league. Although the front office traded away its top center and head coach Quin Snyder stepped down, Utah still has plenty going for them. That's especially true if the Jazz opts to build a better roster around their superstar shooting guard.
Considering he's still young, there is plenty of time for Utah to gather enough quality players to help Donovan Mitchell succeed. They acquired plenty of draft capital and will have a ton of cap space in the future, which bodes well for the Jazz to restructure the roster. Avoiding a complete rebuild should be a priority right now, as trading Mitchell away elongates the organization's championship aspirations.
With that said, here are three reasons why the Jazz must keep Donovan Mitchell and build around him.
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Jazz Reasons To Build Around Donovan Mitchell
3. He is still only 25 years old
Donovan Mitchell has plenty of time to secure a ring. He's young enough to go through a roster restructure as the Jazz are doing. It's not like he's in his early 30s and his career clock is running out. Mitchell is a legitimate superstar in the NBA and there is a real chance he still has 10 years left in his career. For that reason, Utah should be smart and keep him on the roster.
Most of the league's biggest stars didn't win their first championship until they were in their late 20s. Michael Jordan and LeBron James both didn't win their first ring until they were 27 years old. The Jazz should put their trust in Danny Ainge and let him work his magic.
2. They have the draft capital and cap space to make big moves
The Rudy Gobert trade gave Utah four future first-round picks. It also cleared up a ton of cap space as well, which is perfect for restructuring a roster. Whether the Jazz makes big moves this offseason or next, they're in a fantastic situation to formulate a playoff team sooner, rather than later.
Whether they build through the draft, make trades, or sign big-name free agents, is yet to be determined. Either way, the Jazz are in a favorable situation right now to create a legitimate team around Donovan Mitchell. Patience is key, as this franchise aims to make some big changes.
1. Trading Donovan Mitchell closes any possible championship window for years
Let's face it. Trading away Mitchell would mean the Jazz are going into a full rebuild of the roster. They'd be at the bottom of the barrel and be following a similar path as the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder. If that's the case, any hopes for a championship completely ends for several years, whereas Donovan Mitchell's presence keeps it open. Even if the window is just slightly cracked open right now.
The Jazz have a real opportunity to build a better roster in just a year or two by keeping Mitchell. Rudy Gobert was no help on the offensive end and Donovan Mitchell can't do it by himself. If Utah can acquire star power, and more efficient scoring options, while maintaining their defense, this franchise is going to remain a problem for the rest of the Western Conference. The Gobert trade gave them the pieces to do just that.
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