2 Teams That Need To Trade For Donovan Mitchell To Increase Their NBA Championship Odds
The Utah Jazz have already traded one star away – dealing Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves – and it looks like they’re open to trading away their other star.
Jazz general manager Justin Zanik told reporters in a recent interview, “Change is inevitable in the NBA…Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is [untouchable]…There’s no intent there [to trade Mitchell] at all.”
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2022
After seeing the haul the Jazz got for Gobert and looking at the current landscape of the team, it isn’t hard to see why the Jazz would be open to fully rebuilding. There’s several teams that are going to inquire about Mitchell – as a 25-year-old offensive-minded All-Star could push a team over the edge. However, there are two teams that need to be calling Danny Ainge every day to try and get a deal done.
Once they do, expect these teams’ championship odds to skyrocket.
Miami Heat (+1200)
Despite Miami being one shot away from the NBA Finals, it was clear it needed improvement on offense.
Mitchell would certainly provide that.
The Heat would likely have to trade Tyler Herro to get the deal done, but it’s worth it in my opinion. Mitchell has been forced to be a volume scorer in Utah, but he would be able to play more freely in Miami. With Jimmy Butler there to draw some of the defense’s attention, Mitchell would be in the best offensive situation of his career.
We’ve seen how well Butler can elevate his team in the postseason. If you give him another offensive-minded All-Star, Miami could be representing the East.
Toronto Raptors (+2500)
Right now, the Raptors have the package to make a run at Kevin Durant. However, the Nets’ asking price is much too much. Toronto still needs a scoring boost, which is where Mitchell comes in. He would be the high-octane offensive engine the Raptors have been looking for, and they have the defensive prowess to help hide Mitchell.
If the Raptors were somehow able to keep Scottie Barnes, they would certainly vault into the top 4 of the Eastern Conference standings. Nick Nurse is an elite coach, Mitchell would provide an offensive spark and the Raptors could once again have a dynamic backcourt. All would be well.
You can find Donnavan Smoot’s full betting record here.