After weeks of constant trade rumors and uncertainty, the Utah Jazz finally agreed to trade Donovan Mitchell. For a hefty haul of players, three unprotected first-round picks, and two pick swaps, the Cleveland Cavaliers swooped in and landed the 25-year-old. Utah will launch into its rebuild with a terrific outlook due to the massive haul of future picks.
For Mitchell, his successful time with the Jazz has come to an end. The former 13th overall pick in the 2017 draft has flourished into a player beyond what was expected and deserves a great deal of credit for the success the organization has had in recent years. As he begins his new chapter in Cleveland, let's look at his top four moments during his five seasons in Utah.
4. Jazz send Thunder packing in 2018 playoffs
In Donovan Mitchell's rookie season with the Jazz, they had just lost Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics and could have taken a step back. Instead, Utah went 48-34 to land the fifth seed in the playoffs and a first-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. While the two sides had the same regular-season record, the Thunder were regarded as major favorites largely due to the impressive play of All-Stars Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
The signature moment occurred in Game 6 as the Jazz held a 3-2 lead against OKC. After a low-scoring first half, Mitchell came out determined following halftime and poured in 22 points in the third quarter alone. The Jazz built a double-digit lead, but the Thunder managed to crawl back into the game. Utah still secured a win by a score of 96-91.
With a great deal of pressure on him in his first-ever postseason series, the strong play of Mitchell was one of the deciding factors for the Jazz. He ended with 38 points on 14-of-26 from the field and 5-of-8 on 3-point attempts.
Utah lost to the Houston Rockets in five games in the second round, but Mitchell put the NBA on notice with his rookie campaign.
3. Donovan Mitchell takes down MVP-level Giannis
The Milwaukee Bucks had the best record across the entire NBA in 2018-19. Finishing 60-22 as Giannis earned his first MVP, the Bucks were a team to be feared. Traveling to Utah toward the end of the season, this game was looked at as a major test for the Jazz. Giannis did his thing and scored 43 points in the matchup. The Bucks even led by 17 points in the fourth quarter, but this did not last.
Utah saw some of its typical contributors struggle as Ricky Rubio and Rudy Gobert did not even crack the team's closing lineup. As the game wound down, it proved to come down to Donovan Mitchell and the soon-to-be MVP facing off. The two went back and forth providing clutch buckets, but Mitchell would not be denied. He punished the Bucks on switches and let it fly from deep whenever he was given an inch of room.
Then 22-year-old Donovan Mitchell put forth a career high in scoring at the time by pouring in 46 points. It was a statement from both Mitchell and the Jazz as they proved they were ready to step in the ring with the NBA's best teams, and their new star guard proved he was good enough to go toe-to-toe with superstars around the league:
Donovan Mitchell came up BIG in win over the Bucks.
Spida dropped a career-high 46 PTS. pic.twitter.com/nTAekUDWh6
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2019
2. Donovan Mitchell announces presence as a rookie
When Donovan Mitchell was first drafted by the Jazz, there was not too much hype surrounding him. The Louisville product had some intriguing qualities in his game, but there were concerns over his size and lack of passing ability coming into the NBA. This is what ultimately made him fall to the 13th pick.




Mitchell unanimously made All-Rookie in his first season in the NBA, but it was not an immediate rise to glory for him. Mitchell began the season in an off-the-bench reserve role but quickly teased that there was more to his ability. In just his sixth game in the NBA in a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, the rookie put this on center stage. This highlight-reel dunk caught the attention of NBA fans across the country and was just the start of what he was able to produce:
Donovan Mitchell goes ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ for the huge putback jam! pic.twitter.com/SDtEfSE6Pr
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) October 29, 2017
As the Jazz cruised to a 15-point victory over the Lakers, Donovan Mitchell ended with 22 points, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals. The highlight-reel dunk was a part of a 7-0 run he went on by himself. Following the slam dunk, he hit a 3-pointer before drawing a charge on the defensive end of the floor. While fans were already excited about his potential, this was the first time he seemed to take over a game, and to do so at such an early stage continued to inflate the hopes for Mitchell.
1. Donovan Mitchell outduels Jamal Murray in bubble
While the 2020 bubble playoffs hold an asterisk in the minds of many, you cannot take away the on-court production that occurred. Perhaps one of the best moments across the entire NBA was in the first-round matchup between the Jazz and Denver Nuggets. The climax occurred in Game 4 when both Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell put forth ridiculous performances. While each player was terrific throughout the entirety of the series, the 50-plus-point performance in Game 4 was deserving of the headline.
With the game up for grabs, Donovan Mitchell took over down the stretch. He demanded the ball like a true No. 1 option does and produced for his team. With roughly a minute to play and the Jazz leading by one point, Mitchell saw his attempt at attacking the basket swatted away by Paul Millsap. Following the block, he demanded the ball back right away and called for an isolation on Millsap. Spida hit a dagger 3-pointer right in Millsap's face and let him and everyone else in the building know about it:
Take one more look at Paul Millsap's stare down with a minute to go in a one point game… and Donovan Mitchell's response. pic.twitter.com/S4BvrM04Ua
— David James (@DavidDJJames) August 24, 2020
While the series did not end as the Jazz wanted, the performance from Donovan Mitchell was enough to lift hopes in a major way. He ended the matchup with 51 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. For the moment, he was the coldest man on the planet as he led the Jazz to a statement victory with his strong play.
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The time in Utah may not have ended as positively as many hoped, but the moments Donovan Mitchell had with the franchise were special. Both Mitchell and the Jazz are in far better places than they were prior to the partnership and have some bright years ahead. The franchise may be moving on from their superstar, but the impressive moments he provided should be remembered.