Utah Jazz Trade Donovan Mitchell in Blockbuster Deal

By Brian Jones

Donovan Mitchell will play for a new team when the 2022-23 NBA season begins next month. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Utah Jazz are trading the three-time NBA All-Star to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Jazz will receiver  Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps in the trade. Sexton's agent Rich Paull told ESPN that Sexton will sign a four-year, $72 million fully guaranteed contract as part of a sign-and-trade agreement. Cleveland is sending its 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks and will trade picks in 2026 and 2028. 

The move comes nearly two months after the Jazz traded three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a handful of players and draft picks. This offseason, Utah has acquired seven first-round picks, three pick-swaps and two players that were drafted in the first round of this year's draft. 

Mitchell, 25 was selected No. 13 overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2017 NBA Draft. As soon he was drafted, Mitchell was traded to the Jazz for the 24th pick (Tyler Lydon) and Trey Lyles. In 2018, Mitchell was selected to the All-Rookie team, averaging 20.5 points, and 3.7 assists per game. Last year, the Louisville alum tallied 25.5 points and 5.7 assists per contest. He now joins a Cavaliers team that won 44 games last year, which is the most they have won since winning 50 games in 2018. 

In September last year, PopCulture.com spoke to Mitchell about winning the MVP award. "Why can't it be me?" Mitchell said to PopCulture. "I think that's something that I've always prided myself in, being able to be the best. You don't train to be second or third. You train to be at the top, number one. And I think that's something that I can definitely do and attain. But through that comes team success. I don't get any of that without my teammates, I don't get any of that without team success. So if I'm gunning for MVP and we're in eighth, ninth place, then it's not doing anybody any good. So at the end of the day, I'm focused on winning and help my teammates as much as I can and continuing to win. And everything else will kind of fall into line."  

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