Donovan Mitchell was traded by the Utah Jazz during the offseason with the All-Star unsure about the direction of the franchise moving forward. However, while there already seemed to be no hard feelings from either end, Saturday provided further evidence that he still has his eye trained on the Utah mountains.

Back in Salt Lake City and Vivint Arena for the 2023 All-Star break, Mitchell discussed the rise of Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. Named an All-Star for the first time in his career, Markkanen was announced as a starter for the 2023 All-Star Game due to injuries to Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.

Mitchell, noting that he's known Markkanen since high school, says that he's “honestly not shocked.”

“Lauri's been this type of player.”

Believing that Lauri “getting consistent playing time and having a consistent role “after being traded from the Chicago Bulls has helped the 25-year-old find his footing, Mitchell has been impressed by his ability to “lead this team [with] a lot of uncertainty on both ends for what was to come.”

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“For him to thrive in this role is something, that's truly special to see.”

“He's a hell of a player,” Mitchell says. “I'm happy for him. He's having a lot of success. All-Star starter, so it's been great to see.”

One of the leading candidates for the 2023 Most Improved Player Award, Markkanen is averaging 24.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game this season, shooting career-highs of 51.2 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3.