Utah Jazz

Donovan Mitchell said it's "comforting" being in Cleveland after dealing with racial issues as a member of the Utah Jazz, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape:

It's no secret there's a lot of stuff that I dealt with being in Utah off the floor. If I'm being honest with you, I never really said this, but it was draining. It was just draining on my energy just because you can't sit in your room and cheer for me and then do all these different things. I'm not saying specifically every fan, but I just feel like it was a lot of things.

Mitchell spent his first five NBA seasons with the Jazz, earning three All-Star selections before an offseason trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He noted that having a larger proportion of "people that look like me" in the crowds at Cavs games is a "blessing" after playing in front of predominantly white crowds in Utah. A census in 2021 estimated the white population in Salt Lake City at 72.5 percent, whereas Cleveland was said to have 47.4 percent Black or African American residents.

"I tried my best to make sure I invite young Black and brown kids to games, to be around the community," he said. "But just to not see us there, it was definitely tough. And being in Cleveland now, you see us courtside. It's just refreshing."

Mitchell said he experienced multiple off-court issues in Utah, including criticism from an Instagram post about Juneteenth and being called out by Utah Senate President Stuart Adams.

"As far as Utah, it became a lot to have to deal with on a nightly basis," Mitchell said. "I got pulled over once. I got an attitude from a cop until I gave him my ID. And that forever made me wonder what happens to the young Black kid in Utah that doesn't have that power to just be like, 'This is who I am.' And that was one of the things for me that I took to heart."

The 26-year-old, who originally hails from New York, has enjoyed his time with the Cavaliers and spending time in the community, noting he has attended a high school game (as he previously did in Utah) in addition to other sporting events.

Mitchell is also thriving on the court, averaging a career-best 29.3 points per game while helping Cleveland start the year with a 21-11 record.

On Jan. 10, he returns to Salt Lake City with the Cavaliers to take on the Jazz. Mitchell said he is "excited" to return: "You're there for five years. You lay roots there as far as relationships you build in the organization and with different people in the community. To come back again and play in front of the crowd will be dope."

Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have moved on to different teams, and the guard explained there is no lingering hatred between the former Utah Jazz teammates.

"Honestly, basketball just didn't work," he said, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape. "We live in such a world where it has to be really negative. Basketball just didn't work. We didn't see eye to eye. We wanted to both win, but we wanted to do it two different ways. It didn't work. But as far as him and I go as people, I don't hate him, and he doesn't hate me."

Mitchell also said he will hug Gobert when they see each other, adding: "There's no hatred. There's no ill will towards any of that."

Still, there was no shortage of reports about tension between the two star players when they were together with the Jazz. Utah traded Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves this past offseason.

The pair played five seasons together and made the playoffs each time. However, the Jazz never made it past the second round during that stretch. It seemed like they finally would in 2020-21 when they finished with the best record in the NBA, but they lost to the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers in the second round.

Mitchell's Cavaliers are 21-11, which is the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Perhaps he can make a conference final in his first season without Gobert.

While he enjoyed a good run in his five years with the franchise, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell doesn't believe his No. 45 jersey should be immortalized by the Utah Jazz.

"I don't think I did enough," he said in an interview with Andscape's Marc J. Spears. "I hold myself to a high standard. Now, other people may feel that it should. I'd be happy and forever grateful, honored and blessed for sure for that to happen. But I don't think I've done enough in five years to have my jersey up there with Karl [Malone], John [Stockton], Pistol Pete [Maravich] and Darrell Griffith. I got a long way in my career to go to continue to be better."

Perhaps Mitchell's career will come full circle and he'll return to Utah one day. Assuming he never plays another game for the Jazz, it's tough to find much wrong with his assessment.

The Jazz enjoyed plenty of regular season success with the partnership of Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, but they never advanced past the Western Conference semifinals. As a result, Mitchell doesn't have the team accolades that could catapult him into the franchise legend tier.

Kawhi Leonard, for example, was only with the Toronto Raptors for one year but could plausibly see his No. 2 jersey hanging in the rafters because he helped lead the Raptors to their first NBA title.

Because of his relatively limited time in Salt Lake City—at least within the context of retiring his jersey—Mitchell doesn't have the counting stats, either. His 8,234 points are eighth all time and he didn't crack the top 10 in assists, games played, total minutes or win shares, per Basketball Reference.

Seven players have had their numbers retired by the Jazz: Adrian Dantley, Pete Maravich, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, Darrell Griffith and Mark Eaton. All seven left bigger legacies in Utah than Mitchell.

Malone and Stockton are the two best players in franchise history.

Hornacek didn't put up big numbers, nor was he ever an All-Star in Utah, but he did play a key role on the teams that reached the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals.

Dantley was a six-time All-Star with the Jazz and ranks third in points.

Eaton led the NBA in blocks in four seasons and was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a five-time All-Defensive honoree.

Griffith and Maravich have the fourth- and seventh-most points among Jazz players, and they would've achieved even more if their careers hadn't been adversely impacted by injuries.

Nobody has assumed the No. 45 jersey since Mitchell's trade to the Cavs, and it might be a while before anyone wears it since it isn't a common number. But it will nonetheless be there for the taking for the foreseeable future.

Malik Beasley took exception to Rudy Gobert taking an easy layup in the final seconds of Friday's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz.

Speaking to reporters after the Timberwolves' 118-108 win, Beasley called Gobert's decision in that moment "disrespectful."

"Unwritten rule of basketball and I told him that," Beasley added.

There was a brief scrum on the court after the buzzer sounded, with Beasley having to be separated from Gobert.

Rudy Gobert, on the late dunk and subsequent scrum: “I’ve been taught to play basketball to the last second. For me, there was never any intent to disrespect anybody. These guys who stepped in front of me, they weren’t going to do anything anyway. … It kind of ruined my moment.” pic.twitter.com/WlOzLFjdcr

— tribjazz (@tribjazz) December 10, 2022

With time winding down in the game and Minnesota holding a 116-108 lead, Gobert was standing under the basket and called for the ball. Kyle Anderson passed it to him, and he took the easy points.

There was no one around Gobert and the shot clock was off.

This was his first game back in Utah since being traded to the Timberwolves in July. He had a dominant performance with 22 points and 13 rebounds in 37 minutes.

Gobert has always been a polarizing player in the NBA. He is a three-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, but there are elements to how he plays that have rubbed some people the wrong way.

There were rumors about tension between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell when they played together in Utah. He was also ejected from a game last week for tripping Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams.

Perhaps Gobert's desire to send a message to the Jazz front office that traded him compelled him to take the points.

The Atlanta Hawks reportedly approached the Utah Jazz hoping to trade John Collins for Lauri Markkanen.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that the Jazz rejected the offer, which "did not generate any traction."

It's not hard to see why the Jazz would reject such an offer. Markkanen has been one of the breakout players of the NBA's first month, averaging 22.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game to help spur the Jazz's surprising 12-7 start.

"I think it's been the overall game coming together,” Markkanen told Tony Jones of The Athletic. "Working on my overall game, working on where my spots are on the floor. I've just been trying to bring everything together and just keep working on the overall package. I think the important thing is not being satisfied. I have to know that there are a lot of things that I can keep improving. It's a process."

Collins, meanwhile, is in the midst of arguably his worst NBA season. His points per game have dropped for the third straight campaign, down from 21.6 in 2019-20 to 12.6 this season. He also has not developed into an elite rim protector the way the Hawks hoped and is shooting a career-low 26.9 percent from behind the arc.

The Hawks have made Collins a regular fixture on the trade market for years and haven't been able to find a taker to meet their asking price. Shopping him around now at the nadir of his value isn't going to lead to many fruitful conversations—especially if Atlanta management is seeking a player like Markkanen.

Collins is in just the second season of a five-year, $125 million deal. While he has a player option for the 2025-26 campaign, it's highly unlikely he'll turn down $26.6 million given the trajectory of his career.

If the Hawks want to trade Collins and recoup any value that will help them on the floor, they're going to have to wait and see if he turns his season around.

Utah Jazz star Mike Conley Jr. reportedly avoided the worst-case scenario when suffering a knee injury during Saturday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Conley will miss at least two weeks with a knee strain but "avoided major injury or ligament damage on the non-contact left knee injury."

Conley remains a member of the Jazz for now, but his departure felt all but inevitable amid Utah's roster teardown this past offseason. The team traded away its two cornerstones, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, to trigger a long-term rebuild.

Once Mitchell, the second of the two to go, was sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the focus shifted to how quickly the front office would jettison the remaining veterans such as Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanović.

Yet the Jazz have impressed this season at 12-6, which could change the trajectory.

While he has lost a step, Conley remains an effective playmaker and ball-handler. He averaged 13.7 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc last season.

For the Jazz, an injury to the 35-year-old has less impact on the court and more of an effect on his trade value.

Conley makes $22.7 million in 2022-23 and has a $14.3 million partial guarantee for his full $24.4 million salary in 2023-24. In total, that's not an insignificant investment, and it's one interested suitors may balk at if there are lingering questions over his durability.

Utah Jazz shooting guard Malik Beasley and his wife, Montana Yao, announced the birth of their second child, daughter Mia Love Beasley, on Friday.

"11/11 and my wish came true," the Jazz star wrote on Instagram.

Their first child, son Makai Joseph Beasley, was born in March 2019.

Jenna Lemoncelli of the New York Post reported the couple, who were married in August 2020, reconciled earlier this year and had divorce proceedings dismissed in August.

Beasley, 25, was traded to the Jazz in July as part of the blockbuster deal sending center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 2016 first-round pick out of Florida State has averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 threes and 1.1 assists across his first 16 appearances for Utah.

He's scored 48 points in three contests (16 PPG) since the birth of his daughter. In all, he's averaged 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 threes and 1.2 assists in 352 NBA games.

After his trade to Utah, the Atlanta native explained he was focused on making better decisions, saying his "main goal is to be way better off the court." He spent 78 days in jail following the 2020-21 season after pleading guilty to a threats of violence felony charge in February 2021.

"I was just tired of making the same mistakes that I've made before and I don't want to go through that anymore," Beasley told reporters in July. "I believe in second chances. I believe everything happens for a reason, so I feel like I can just do better in the world."

Next up for Beasley and the Jazz is a home clash with the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley thought he was heading to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of Utah's offseason overhaul that featured the departures of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Conley told Tony Jones of The Athletic on Monday he received a message from a "person he trusted" suggesting a move to the Clippers, a team that has interested him in recent years, could be on the horizon. Instead, the Clips opted to sign free agent John Wall.

"We tried to handle it as well as it could be handled," Conley told Jones about himself and his wife, Mary. "It was tough because there weren't really many answers to the questions that we had. We didn't know who was staying or going. We had no clue what to expect. It felt like every day I was being traded somewhere else."

The 2021 All-Star ultimately stayed in Utah, and he's played a key role in the team's red-hot 9-3 start to the 2022-23 season.

After the offseason whirlwind of moves, it seemed like the Jazz might struggle to reach .500, let alone sit atop the Western Conference standings as they do now. It's still a small sample size, but they're on track to far exceed expectations.

Conley has averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals through 11 appearances. He's also knocking down 2.4 threes per game at a 42.6 percent clip.

"This was tough at first because I'm 35 and I'm so used to having championship aspirations," Conley told Jones. "I came to the Jazz to play for championships. So I was wondering what would end up happening. But once we got a new coach (Will Hardy) in here and he started laying things out, I knew that I wanted to be here. We are building and developing."

The Ohio State product added he's "loved every second" of playing for the rebuilt Jazz.

Depending on how Utah plays over the next few months, it's still possible Conley ends up on the trade block ahead of the deadline. His three-year, $68 million contract includes a partially guaranteed salary for next season, per Spotrac.

For now, the three-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award said he's focused on the present.

"Honestly, these young guys are keeping me in the moment," Conley told Jones. "Everyone is constantly asking questions and constantly wanting to watch film. I kind of feel like a coach now. I love playing this game and I'm enjoying it."

The Jazz are back on the floor Wednesday night when they visit State Farm Arena to take on the 7-3 Atlanta Hawks.

The Los Angeles Lakers' defense was criticized after struggling mightily to generate stops in a 130-116 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

L.A.'s play at that end of the floor has been a bright spot despite the team's sluggish start, ranking seventh in the NBA with a 45.3 percent opponent's field goal percentage. That wasn't the case against Utah, which shot 50.5 percent from the field and knocked down 17 threes to drop the Lakers' record to 2-6.

"We never want it to happen, but there's some games throughout the course of an 82-game season where you don't have it defensively, and tonight we didn't have it," five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection LeBron James told reporters.

Here's a look at some social-media reaction to the defensive performance:

Defense was trash tonight. Ham should light em up. Seeing this team again on Monday. Gotta tighten up. Jazz playing beautiful team ball. Kudos to them.

— QuestFor18 (@HisandHerLakers) November 5, 2022

Lakers playing defense https://t.co/xheoCoaVEd

— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) November 5, 2022

LeBron finally looks kinda old. This lakers team is more embarassing than their record. AD took one shot in the fourth quarter and played awful defense. What are they doing lol. They needed russ to bail them out tonight and got run out the gym

— kang (@jaycaspiankang) November 5, 2022

The Lakers had the 3rd best defense coming into tonight.

The Jazz just dropped 130 points on them, shooting 51/43/90%.

They are 7-3. pic.twitter.com/Gn0IejyepM

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 5, 2022

Lakers’ game plan on defense. pic.twitter.com/fIjkX180fi

— Durham Hurricanes (@DHurricanes2002) November 5, 2022

Not a lot to say, the defense was pitiful. Nobody put bodies on people. Utah was able to get open looks off simple ball movement and they set a ton is screens that the Lakers just died on

— CL Owens 🏀 🇺🇸 (@CSmoove_Sports) November 5, 2022

Lakers defense let them down tonight. Get back on track next game.

— TheLakersOptimist (@LakersOptimist) November 5, 2022

Russ has looked great the last few games! The defense let the Lakers down tonight which had been their strong front. Jordan Clarkson balled out!
I think they’ll find a groove here and start winning some of these games. If they keep their defense going & run faster breaks

— Kelvin Washington (@Kdubblive) November 5, 2022

The defense all around let the Lakers down in this one

Just abysmal.

Tough one coming up against Cleveland. #LakeShow

— 𝒦𝒶𝓃𝑒 💜💛🇳🇿 (@LALPrime) November 5, 2022

The struggles defending a well-rounded Jazz offense overshadowed some other positive signs for Los Angeles.

James nearly had a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Anthony Davis recorded 22 points and eight boards. Russell Westbrook also continued his resurgence off the bench with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting along with six dimes.

They just couldn't slow down Utah, which scored 40 points in the first quarter and never looked back.

Lauri Markkanen paced the Jazz with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Jordan Clarkson (20 points), Kelly Olynyk (18), Collin Sexton (17) and Mike Conley (15) also reached double figures in scoring for Utah, which improved to 7-3.

"Defense is something you can get right damn near every night," Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said. "We need to be accountable on that end of the floor. ... We gotta get stops to survive and excel."

L.A. will look to combine its typically reliable defense with an improving offense when it returns to action Sunday to host the Cleveland Cavaliers.