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The Utah Jazz flipped the switch into rebuilding mode after seemingly hitting their ceiling with the duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The franchise signaled this by trading Gobert to the Timberwolves for a haul of draft picks. The feeling around the league seems to be that Donovan Mitchell will be next and each team is attempting to field its most competitive offers.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Sacremento Kings. The 16-year playoff drought has worn on the franchise and they are doing everything possible to build a competitive roster. While the franchise has mostly stayed out of the Mitchell rumors, attempting to get in the mix could be beneficiary. The Jazz are clearly searching for draft picks as a return for the All-Star guard. The Kings traded a protected first-round pick in the deal for Kevin Huerter which limited their flexibility in this regard.
However, the combination of win-now players and intriguing prospects puts Sacremento in an interesting position. Providing high-level young talents in the offer could give the Jazz a jump start in their rebuild. As the Kings look to snap their postseason drought, adding Donovan Mitchell would go a long way to ensuring this is the case. Here is the trade package the franchise could use to attempt to land the all-star.
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Donovan Mitchell: The perfect trade Kings must offer Jazz for All-Star guard
Kings Get: Donovan Mitchell
Jazz Get: Keegan Murray, Davion Mitchell, Kevin Huerter, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, 2025, 2027, 2029 first-round pick swaps
It is clear that whatever deal gets done for Donovan Mitchell will require a great deal of draft capital. Due to the Stepien rule which states that a team cannot trade first-round picks in consecutive years, the Kings are somewhat handcuffed in their offer. The 2026 first-round pick is the first the franchise can offer because of this rule. This is where the young talent of Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell would be necessary to move the needle from Utah's perspective.
Keegan Murray has impressed greatly in the Summer League and was awarded MVP as a result. The Iowa product is one of the few rookies to have increased his value in a major way and likely caught the attention of scouts around the NBA. If the Jazz view Murray as a potential building block this could hold great appeal. It would be a very Kings-like move to seemingly hit on a draft pick and trade the player before he officially suits up. However, given that Donovan Mitchell would be the best player to wear a Kings uniform in quite some time it would be a worthy gamble.
It also is important to note that his deal can not take place until after August 30th due to Kevin Huerter's recent trade. Sacremento could potentially send off Domantas Sabonis or Harrison Barnes instead, however, Huerter would seem to make more sense for both sides. Regardless the team would need some sort of high-salary veteran to reach the NBA trade requirements.
There has not been much movement in the NBA and there is optimism that this deal could drag on for another month. Adding Donovan Mitchell to the Kings would be extremely exciting for the franchise. A core of Mitchell, De'Aaron Fox, and Domantas Sabonis would be the best the franchise has seen in quite some time. While they still are not true contenders, this core would likely snap the playoff drought. This sign of progress could go a long way to giving Kings fans hope by seeing the organization move in the right direction. With the front office feeling the pressure to win now, this move would accomplish this goal.
Unfortunately for the Sacremento Kings, they simply are not a desired location for big names. The combination of thier small-market and continued losing has damaged their reputation around the NBA a great deal. Due to this, it is nearly impossible to sign a true free agent star. Getting a big name through trade is the organization's best route of roster construction. Donovan Mitchell is one of the rare superstars to become available and the Kings should be jumping at the opportunity. Sacremento has not had an all-star on their roster since DeMarcus Cousins in 2016-17 and Donovan Mitchell could change this.
With the Kings clearly looking to compete this season, they should not be content with their roster as it is. Digging through their assets and fielding an offer for the Jazz star is the right route for the franchise. While there certainly is a chance they are outbid by other franchises, the Kings should not be shy in building their offers.
