Donovan Mitchell rumors: 2 new trade partners emerging for Jazz

The Utah Jazz continue to shop Donovan Mitchell, but the New York Knicks are far from the only trade suitor for the All-Star guard.

Donovan Mitchell remains an elite scoring guard, but he’s unlikely to be the best player on a championship team. This is something the Knicks — among other teams in the Association — must grapple with and understand going in.

The three-time All-Star averaged 25.9 points per game on nearly 45 percent shooting last season. Yet, a core of him and Rudy Gobert wasn’t enough to take the Jazz to the next level, despite some excellent regular-season success in Salt Lake City.

So, the Jazz opted to start over. They traded Gobert to Minnesota for a stunning haul and now look to one-up that deal with whoever takes on Mitchell.

Donovan Mitchell rumors: 2 new teams enter fray

Mitchell’s asking price has been the issue so far. If a team like the Knicks abandon all of their assets for a player who would be second-best at best on a championship team, then they have no chance at acquiring an NBA title in their own right.

Gobert’s trade set an unrealistic ceiling, and the Mitchell and Kevin Durant trades have been put on hold as a result.

“Sources tell me that talks between the Jazz and the Knicks around a Donovan Mitchell trade have stalled out,” Shams Charania said on The Rally.

He added something else intriguing: Utah has kept conversations going with the likes of the Hornets and the Wizards regarding Mitchell.

The problem for Charlotte and Washington in pursuing Mitchell is draft capital. They don’t have the plethora of picks available to the Knicks to negotiate with. However, they do have young talent to hang out there if they decide Mitchell is worth it.

Despite those names being brought up, Charania made it clear the Knicks are still the central focus when considering any potential Mitchell trade. The Hornets and Wizards could be used to put pressure on New York. Or maybe they’ll stun everyone by making a trade come together.