Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are reportedly looking to accelerate the timeline for a potential Donovan Mitchell trade.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, they would prefer to complete a trade before training camp.

"It does sound, as I talk to folks in the league, like the Jazz are trying to apply the gas here, trying to juice the offers, especially juice the offer from the New York Knicks," he said.

New York may have less competition to drive up the price, though, as Ian Begley of SNY reported the Cleveland Cavaliers "removed themselves" from discussions surrounding Mitchell. Begley called it the Knicks' trade "to lose" with the ability to make the best offer even if they don't include RJ Barrett in the deal.

Tony Jones of The Athletic reported the Jazz still have "multiple offers on the table" for Mitchell, who would prefer the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets or Miami Heat if he was moved.

Yet Jones also noted he has not asked Utah for a trade, meaning it may not be inevitable. If the team doesn't have any favorable offers, it could choose to keep the 25-year-old until at least the trade deadline and reassess its different options.

Still, this appears to be a franchise on its way toward a rebuild after trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves this offseason. Moving Mitchell would be the best way to land a number of draft picks with an eye on the future ahead of a season where it isn't a realistic championship contender.

From the Knicks' perspective, they have won a single playoff series since the 1999-2000 season.

Mitchell may not be enough to bring a championship to New York, but the combination of the three-time All-Star, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Barrett—if he is not included in the deal—could propel them to the top half of the Eastern Conference standings.

That would be a welcome change for a major-market team that has failed to live up to expectations for more than two decades.

Donovan Mitchell will not be a Cleveland Cavalier.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported the Cavaliers removed themselves from trade talks for the All-Star guard, leaving the deal as "the [New York Knicks'] to lose."

The Knicks have been engaged in trade talks with the Utah Jazz for several weeks, but it does not appear a deal is close at this time.

Utah has been seeking a combination of several future first-round picks and young talent for Mitchell, a New York native who would instantly be the Knicks' best player since Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks can trade up to eight future first-round picks but appear hesitant to throw all their chips to the center of the table for Mitchell. Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic reported the Knicks offered five first-round picks (two unprotected), guard Evan Fournier and forward Obi Toppin.

Utah is reportedly seeking a "significant" upgrade from that offer.

The Cavaliers can't match the type of future picks already offered by the Knicks and are unlikely to make budding young stars Darius Garland or Evan Mobley available for trade. That alone was likely enough to take Cleveland out of the running.

The Knicks' combination of trade assets and their desire to land a franchise star make them an overwhelming favorite to eventually land Mitchell. That said, the hesitance of Leon Rose to throw the full boat at Utah is valid.

Mitchell turns 26 in September and has never made an All-NBA team or gotten past the second round of the playoffs. While he's four years older, the Jazz traded the far more decorated Rudy Gobert earlier this offseason for four future first-round picks (and 2022 first-round pick Walker Kessler).

Gobert is the best defensive center of his generation and has three All-NBA selections on his resume. It's fair to wonder why it's a given that Mitchell would command more in a trade than his former teammate.

The Knicks would not have anything close to resembling a championship roster even with Mitchell in the fold. A core of Mitchell, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson may be enough to be a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, but they'd likely be in the bottom portion of that picture.

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to acquire point guard Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday night.

Wojnarowski noted the deal is expected to be finalized on Thursday, and he added: "Beverley was eager to join the Lakers in a trade, sources said, and thrilled to learn of the impending deal."

It was a short stay in Utah for Beverley, who arrived in early July as part of the blockbuster deal sending center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 34-year-old from Chicago is coming off a 2021-22 season with the Wolves in which he averaged 9.2 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 58 appearances.

He graded out positively at both ends of the floor to rank 61st among all NBA players in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric (5.4).

Beverley told KRIV's Mark Berman getting dealt to the Jazz didn't catch him off guard, as he's become accustomed to changing teams.

"Surprised? No, not in this business. Nah, you can't be surprised," he said. "Understood it. Never personal, always business in this business. We did some great things in Minnesota. We kind of revamped the environment there. We kind of gave the fans something to be happy about."

Beverley, a 2009 second-round pick, started his pro career in Europe before making his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets during the 2012-13 season. After five years with Houston, he spent four with the Los Angeles Clippers and one with the Wolves.

The University of Arkansas product has averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 526 career games. He's often been tasked with guarding the opponent's top guard scorer, highlighted by earning NBA All-Defensive First Team honors in 2016-17.

Beverley represents a low-risk addition for the Lakers. He's a consistently reliable defender, which helps offset some offensive slumps for the career 41.4 percent shooter, and he's on an expiring one-year, $13 million contract, so there's no long-term investment.

He should slot in as the chief backup to Russell Westbrook following his move to L.A. The team's backcourt defense should be tremendous when he's on the floor with Austin Reaves.

The Los Angeles Lakers are "open to anything that'll make their team better," and that could include a move for the Utah Jazz's Patrick Beverley or Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Charania said the pair are ones to "keep an eye on" since the Lakers need to strengthen their depth with role players.

"We told you a month ago that Kyrie to the Lakers wasn't gonna happen.. the Lakers are open to anything that will make their team better" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Swjio4siWD

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 23, 2022

Charania reported Monday the Brooklyn Nets had "made clear to interested teams that they plan to keep" Kyrie Irving. After general manager Sean Marks announced Tuesday the franchise had struck an accord with Kevin Durant, the odds of Irving leaving this offseason are even lower.

pic.twitter.com/wQfhrKqUeM

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 23, 2022

Absent a deal for Irving involving Russell Westbrook, the Lakers' lack of trade assets makes any pursuit for a marquee star all but impossible.

But general manager Rob Pelinka can at least improve the roster around the margins, and Beverley and/or Bogdanovic would do just that.

Beverley would provide some additional playmaking at the point and be a defensive upgrade over Westbrook when he's on the court. The 34-year-old is a more natural fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis too, since he wouldn't look to score much on his own.

Bogdanovic would bring the scoring L.A. sorely needs on the wing. He has averaged 18.4 points and shot 39.7 percent from beyond the arc in his three years with Utah. The 33-year-old could slot in as the starting small forward, assuming James is at the 4 and Davis the 5.

The Jazz have so far resisted a total fire sale after trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves. That would probably change if they also send Donovan Mitchell elsewhere.

In the event Utah makes it clear the likes of Beverley, Bogdanovic, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson are available to the highest bidder, the Lakers would be wise to reach out.

After dealing Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this summer for a massive haul, Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz are looking for an even bigger return for Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell has been heavily linked to the New York Knicks since the Jazz began listening to trade offers for the veteran guard shortly after dealing Gobert. However, the Knicks were "turned off" by Ainge's initial trade demands, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Last month, Ainge requested a package of seven first-round picks in exchange for Mitchell, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. New York has eight tradable first-round selections at its disposal.

That is an enormous asking price, and the Knicks, while heavily intrigued by Mitchell, are concerned about "giving away too many future assets" because it will leave them without enough to contend for a title in the future, according to Berman.

New York made a series of trades during the 2022 draft to clear the cap space necessary to sign Jalen Brunson, but it could lose a first-round pick as punishment if the NBA finds in its investigation that the franchise tampered in its pursuit and signing of the former Dallas Mavericks guard.

In addition to draft picks, the Jazz are also searching for players in exchange for Mitchell, according to Berman, who cites a belief around the NBA that head coach Tom Thibodeau would prefer to give up R.J. Barrett over Quentin Grimes in a package.

"Thibodeau pushed for Grimes in the 2021 draft and thinks he could make a good fit in a Mitchell-Brunson scenario," Berman wrote.

While trade talks between the two sides initially had died down, Berman reported that "there has been renewed back-and-forth."

The Knicks are set to enter the 2022-23 campaign with a starting rotation that includes Brunson, Barrett, Evan Fournier, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. They also have solid depth pieces in Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley and Cam Reddish.

However, adding Mitchell could take New York from a playoff team to an Eastern Conference contender.

The 25-year-old has been a staple in Utah's lineup since his rookie year in the 2017-18 season and is coming off an impressive 2021-22 campaign in which he averaged 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 67 games while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from deep.

Over his five seasons with the Jazz, he has earned three All-Star selections, which all have come over the last three seasons. He was also named to the 2017-18 All-Rookie Team.

In addition to the Knicks, the Miami Heat have also been involved in trade discussions for Mitchell.

If the New York Knicks are going to acquire All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, they reportedly may have to do it without the inclusion of Julius Randle.

Appearing Wednesday on SiriusXM NBA Radio's Give & Go, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said the Jazz don't want Randle, but they do want RJ Barrett and six first-round draft picks:

Stephen A Smith on SiriumXM w/ @RickKamlaSports this afternoon when asked about potential Mitchell deal:

"Utah didn't want Julius Randle, from what I'm told. They don't want him. The Knicks were willing to unload him. They want RJ Barrett. They want at least 6 1st-round picks." pic.twitter.com/9Nn7DuwlZe

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) August 18, 2022

Mitchell has reportedly been on the trade block since shortly after the Jazz dealt All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade in July, and the Knicks have been the team most closely associated to the talented guard.

New York was initially viewed as the front-runner for Mitchell, but things went silent on that front until recently.

On Tuesday, Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic reported the Jazz and Knicks had re-engaged in trade talks with the Knicks making a new offer, although there was still "no traction" between the two sides on a deal.

Charania and Jones also reported that the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards are in on the Mitchell sweepstakes.

There is perhaps no team in the NBA with more ammo needed to land Mitchell than the Knicks, mainly because of the draft compensation they can offer.

The Knicks have eight first-round picks that are eligible to be traded, plus they have some high-upside, young players on their roster such as Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley.

If the Jazz want Barrett involved in a trade for Mitchell, that is likely a sticking point for the Knicks, as they would undoubtedly like for Mitchell, Barrett and Jalen Brunson to be their core.

The 22-year-old Barrett was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, and he is coming off a strong season that saw him set career highs across the board with 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 three-pointers made per game.

Randle was an All-Star and won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award two seasons ago, but he took a step back last season and would perhaps be viewed by the Jazz as a salary dump.

While Randle averaged 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game last season, he shot just 41.1 percent from the field and clearly wasn't the same player who led the Knicks to the playoffs one season earlier.

At 27, Randle has reached veteran status, and trading a young, three-time All-Star in Mitchell is a sign that the Jazz want to rebuild rather than take in experienced players.

Utah is under no obligation to trade Mitchell since he is under contract through at least 2025, meaning the Jazz may be content to wait it out in anticipation of the Knicks upping their offer once the start of the 2022-23 season draws closer.

It was less than two years ago that the Utah Jazz put the finishing touches on the best record in the NBA for the 2020-21 season at 52-20.

Yet it seems like ages ago.

Utah bowed out in the second round of the playoffs that season, lost in the first round in 2021-22 and now enters a new campaign after an offseason of turmoil that seemed to indicate the end of an era.

First, head coach Quin Snyder stepped down after eight seasons and six straight playoff appearances. Then, the team traded three-time Defensive Player of the Year and four-time All-NBA selection Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

As if that wasn't enough, three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell was included in trade discussions throughout the offseason. Moving him would have signaled a complete rebuild, especially after the Jazz landed four first-round picks in the Gobert deal.

With Mitchell leading the way, Utah at least has a chance to compete for a playoff spot as it navigates a 2022-23 schedule that was just released.

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2022-23 Jazz Schedule Details

Season Opener: Oct. 19 vs. Denver Nuggets

Championship Odds: 200-1 (FanDuel)

Full Schedule: 2022-23 Regular-Season Schedule

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Top Matchups

Dallas Mavericks

There figures to be some extra motivation for the Jazz when they lace it up against the Dallas Mavericks.

After all, Dallas ended Utah's season when it won their first-round series in six games. It was a difficult loss for the Jazz since Luka Doncic wasn't even healthy for the entire series, but they also struggled to stop Jalen Brunson.

Brunson is no longer on the Mavericks, so that's one less thing for Mitchell and Co. to worry about this season.

These games stand out for more than the revenge factor, though, as showdowns with Doncic can be measuring-stick opportunities for Mitchell. Dallas is also trying to prove it belongs in the upper echelon of contenders and that its Western Conference Finals appearance wasn't a one-year fluke like the Atlanta Hawks reaching the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.

Positioning in the West will be on the line in these head-to-head clashes as well.

If the Jazz are going to be in a spot to challenge the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies or others, they have to play well against other teams trying to do the same.

Dallas is one of those teams.

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Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are also one of those teams.

The Mavericks, Jazz and Nuggets finished in the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 seeds, respectively, a season ago, and a first-round matchup between Denver and Utah is a realistic possibility. Home-court advantage could come down to how well each side fares in these head-to-head games during the regular season.

What's more, Utah's frontcourt will have the chance to see how it stacks up against an elite talent without Gobert in these contests.

Nikola Jokic won the last two MVP awards and figures to be a significant problem for a group that no longer has such an elite defender leading the way. It's not all about the frontcourt, though, as the return of a healthy Jamal Murray could rekindle the show he and Mitchell put on inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble in 2020.

Denver won that first-round series in seven games with Mitchell scoring more than 50 points twice and Murray pouring in 50 points two different times as well.

They matched each other shot for shot in a memorable showdown that helped define one of the strangest and most fascinating stretches of recent NBA history. If they can do that again, these games will be appointment viewing.

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Season Forecast

All hope is not lost in Utah.

It is no secret that there appeared to be some tension between Mitchell and Gobert when the two All-Stars were paired together. Perhaps moving the big guy and fully giving the team over to Mitchell will improve chemistry on the floor and lead to more winning.

The 25-year-old is also capable of taking over games as a go-to scorer, and the Jazz picked up solid role players in the Gobert trade in Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. Throw in the veteran leadership of Mike Conley, a spark off the bench from Jordan Clarkson and the shooting of Bojan Bogdanovic, and there may be a contender in place.

However, Gobert is a major loss.

The 30-year-old is the best interior defender in the league who so often cleaned up the mess when opposing guards blew past Utah's perimeter players off the bounce. There is a reason the three-time All-Star is a six-time All-Defensive selection, and the Jazz will take a significant step back on that end.

This team has a clear ceiling that was in place even with Gobert down low.

It lost in the first or second round in each of the last six seasons and surely won't take a step forward without its All-Star big man and with the uncertainty still revolving around Mitchell this offseason.

A playoff run may be in store, but it won't be a deep one.

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Record Prediction: 44-38

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It's not often the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves are the center of the NBA universe, but they may be multiple times during the upcoming 2022-23 campaign.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported the Timberwolves will host the Jazz on Oct. 21 and then travel to Utah for a rematch Dec. 9.

That is notable because the two teams completed arguably the biggest trade of the entire offseason when the Jazz sent big man Rudy Gobert to Minnesota for Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro and multiple first-round draft picks.

The Jazz have been stuck in neutral of late with six straight playoff appearances during the Gobert era that all ended in a first- or second-round loss.

Throw in the apparent tension between the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and Donovan Mitchell and head coach Quin Snyder's decision to step down, and the Jazz may have seen this offseason as the ideal time to change directions.

Moving Gobert helped them do just that, and Mitchell has been included in plenty of speculation this offseason as well.

For now, the guard is still leading the show for the Jazz, and the matchups between Gobert's Timberwolves will be appointment viewing. It remains to be seen how the crowd in Utah will react to the big man's return, and there may even be playoff implications during the head-to-head games if some of the pieces from the trade help the Jazz stay afloat in the Western Conference.

The Timberwolves could be legitimate factors in the West after they reached the playoffs for just the second time since the 2003-04 season.

Anthony Edwards is one of the brightest young stars in the league, Karl-Anthony Towns is a three-time All-Star and D'Angelo Russell is a capable scorer who can provide a spark from the perimeter.

They now have the league's best defensive big man in Gobert behind them, which could help the franchise take the next step and actually reach the second round.

It will have to figure out ways to beat perennial contenders like the Jazz along the way if it is going to accomplish that task, giving these games additional importance outside of the trade context.

The New York Knicks believe they're in a position of power in Donovan Mitchell talks.

Fred Katz of The Athletic reported the Knicks "know no one is coming close to them" as the Utah Jazz continue to explore trading their All-Star guard.

The Knicks have long been seen as the front-runner for Mitchell, a New York native who spent much of his early childhood in the city.

Equipped with as many as eight future first-round picks to trade, Knicks President of Basketball Operations Leon Rose has more than enough assets to complete a trade right now. That said, it's clear the Knicks do not want to throw all of their future assets into a Mitchell trade and repeat the same mistake they made 11 years prior with Carmelo Anthony.

Like Mitchell, Anthony was a New York native spinning his wheels on a mediocre Western Conference team. The Knicks went all-in to acquire the All-Star forward and pair him with Amar'e Stoudemire, but the results proved largely disappointing. New York never made it past the second round of the playoffs with Anthony, thanks in large part to an inability to surround him with talent.

The Knicks know Mitchell alone is not enough to create a perennial contender. Mitchell's Jazz teams had the NBA's best defensive big man in Rudy Gobert and a strong complement of veteran role players who fit Quin Snyder's system. They still continually fell short in the playoffs, never making it past the second round and exiting in the first three of the last four years.

Cashing in every future draft pick would consign the Knicks to a similar fate—if not worse given they have no player of Gobert's caliber to pair with Mitchell. New York is coming off a 37-45 campaign that saw its best player, Julius Randle, feud with fans and disappoint under the spotlight of expectations. A core of Mitchell, Randle and RJ Barrett isn't scratching the surface of competing against the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks' best hope is that they remain the clubhouse leader with the best offer in place—one that allows them to acquire Mitchell and gives them enough breathing room to add another co-star in the future.

Quin Snyder is making his divorce from the state of Utah official.

The former Jazz coach recently listed his Salt Lake City mansion for sale, according to Doug Greenberg of Front Office Sports. Snyder is asking for $12.75 million for the eight-bedroom, 10-bathroom home.

The house finished construction in 2018, two years after Snyder originally bought 0.69 acres of prime real estate for $769,000. The finished product features a view of Mt. Olympus along with amenities like an infinity saltwater pool, home gym and library.

Snyder, 55, coached the Jazz from 2014 until his resignation after the 2021-22 season. It appears he plans to take next season off but is expected to return to the sideline at some point—perhaps as early as the 2023-24 campaign.

The house sale appears to be the final box he needs to check to move to his next chapter.