Jazz: Donovan Mitchell exit sparks after preferred destination list leaks

Could Donovan Mitchell be taking his talents away from the Utah Jazz? If he does then these are the two teams he's most likely to join.

Donovan Mitchell is the cornerstone superstar of the Utah Jazz. He's going to be the centerpiece of this franchise for many years to come, and the fact that the team secured him to a massive extension last year serves as a clear testament to this fact.

Be that as it may, this has not quelled the whispers about a potential Jazz exit for the 25-year-old superstar. Just recently, Mitchell has been linked to two big-market teams as his move away from Utah continues to pick up steam. According to NBA insider Greg Sylvander, the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks are Mitchell's top two destinations should he eventually demand a trade from the Jazz:

The Miami Heat and New York Knicks are believed to be Donovan Mitchell’s top two choices if he were to ever ask out of Utah, per @GregSylvander pic.twitter.com/jpxe0wlZkP

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) January 14, 2022

To be perfectly clear, Donovan Mitchell has not requested for a trade from the Utah Jazz — at least as far as we know. He appears to be happy in Utah, with his squad in the midst of what feels like another deep run in this year's playoffs.

Nevertheless, Mitchell is now on his fifth season with the Jazz and unfortunately, he has yet to achieve ultimate success with the squad. Utah has failed to get out of the second round of the playoffs during the past five seasons, and this is despite the fact that they finished with a league-best 52-20 record last year.

If the Jazz are unable to make the Western Conference Finals again this season that there's no denying that this year is going to be considered as yet another failed campaign. If this happens, is it at all possible that Donovan Mitchell begins to consider taking his talents elsewhere? Is he really the type that will jump ship? Will the Jazz actually succumb to his request or will they opt to keep him in Utah against his will? There are so many factors that will come into play here and at this point, it's impossible to tell what's going to happen.

What you can be sure of, however, is that both the Heat and the Knicks will absolutely jump at the opportunity to bring the two-time All-Star to their respective cities. The same can be said for every other team in the NBA, though, so it goes without saying that Miami and New York will potentially have some competition for Donovan Mitchell.