SALT LAKE CITY — Insiders are reporting that the Utah Jazz are now willing to entertain trade proposals for their lone remaining NBA All-Star — but the offer would have to be "sky high," Tony Jones with The Athletic said.
When the Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for five players and four first-round draft picks, the team was reportedly shutting down any and all offers for Donovan Mitchell.
But on Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Utah is now "showing a willingness to listen on possible trade scenarios," according to sources close to "rival teams."
Any team looking to add the 3-time All-Star won't be expected to do so for a bargain, however.
"The asking price appears to be steep," Wojnarowski wrote.
"Utah’s bar for Trading Mitchell is sky high," Jones tweeted, adding that the New York Knicks are a possible contender with "the assets to make this a conversation."
Expect the New York Knicks to quickly try and put together a package for Donovan Mitchell, according to league sources. Utah’s bar for Trading Mitchell is sky high. But the Knicks are the team that has the assets to make this a conversation
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 12, 2022
Mitchell, who is from the New York metropolitan area, has four years and $134.9 million remaining on his contract.
Jones, who covers the Jazz and other NBA news for The Athletic and a former The Salt Lake Tribune sports writer, clarified that a potential trade does not seem imminent.
"Let’s be clear about this: the Jazz are currently not close to a Donovan Mitchell trade," he tweeted. "And much like Gobert, they have no issues whatsoever in keeping him. Either a team is going to meet the bar to make this a convo, or he will be with the Jazz. They are not giving him away."
Jones added that it is "still [Utah's] overall intent" to build their team around Mitchell moving forward.
Despite "sources" saying the Jazz were previously dismissing any inkling of trading their star shooting guard, team executives recently said otherwise.
"Change is inevitable in the NBA," Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said Saturday when asked about the topic, according to ESPN's report. "I'm not trying to be cryptic or anything else, but Donovan is on our roster and he's a very, very important part of what we're trying to do. Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn't sit here and say anybody is [untouchable]. We're trying to build a championship team, but there's no intent [to trade Mitchell], at all."
