Donovan Mitchell Believes Utah Is A Legit Destination And I'm Not Sure He's Wrong

In today’s NBA, it’s all about recruiting. Players talk, and it’s something that happens all year long. We hear about rumors during the All Star Break and especially during the offseason, and this year is no different. With a free agent class that should be filled with multiple All Star level players, I can only imagine the recruiting that will be going on between now and early July. This is relevant because Donovan Mitchell came out and talked about how he fully intends to do everything he can to bring in Paul George, and that UTA is in fact a legit option that star free agents should consider. Here is what he said to say when he talked to Woj on his podcast

“I was the lead recruiter at Louisville. I think I signed four or five guys before I left,” Mitchell said on the Woj Pod. “I think I can recruit some guys. Coach (Rick Pitino) and coach Kenny Johnson taught me some things.”

“Why not play with us?” Mitchell said. “You look at how we move the ball. We play with guys who don’t care who scores the most, who rebounds the most. … We play with guys who genuinely want to win.”

Mitchell also highlighted the reputation for developing players that Snyder and his staff have earned.

On the surface this sounds weird, like who the fuck wants to move to UTA, but the more I thought about it, maybe it isn’t all that crazy. First let’s look at their cap situation as it stands now fto see what free agents they could even bring on board in the first place.

Here’s where things get tricky. Because the Jazz are over the cap, renouncing these cap holds will NOT open up more money. That means for them to sign FA outright they need to use any available exceptions or minimum deals. As far as I can tell they do not have any exceptions. This means in order for the Jazz to bring in someone like Paul George, you’re looking at a sign and trade scenario. If you can assume that George is going to get $30m+ once he gets his new deal, I’m not sure how the Jazz come up with that number while still keeping the pieces that Mitchell talked about.

So take Paul George out of the equation and let’s focus on his overall point. Are the Jazz a true destination? Would NBA stars actually want to make the move to a city where they probably have 100x less fun? From a basketball standpoint, I have to agree with Mitchell.

The Jazz young core is at the perfect age. Guys like Rudy/Mitchell/Gobert/Jae/etc are all 30 and under and the best one of them all is on his rookie deal for a few more seasons. This is a team that was basically tied with BOS for the best defense in the NBA, and if you’re a FA looking to make your next move, this is important. Going to the West may seem crazy given that’s where the Warriors play, but you’d be going to a team that potentially has the defensive chops to give them trouble. Same with HOU. From an offensive standpoint, they were middle of the pack in terms of Ortg, while playing the 5th slowest pace in the league. They are a team that truly tries to beat you in the half court, where they surround Mitchell/Gobert with shooters. UTA loves to shoot the three (13th in 3PA), and seeing as how they won 48 games this year is certainly a team that’s on the rise that plays a style which has proven to be successful. I can see how that would be attractive.

Also don’t discredit Quin Snyder. He’s a guy many feel should win the Coach of The Year this season, and is rightfully regarded as one of the best coaches in the league. He’s only 51, so you’d think he has plenty left in the tank, and we’ve seen him get better in each of his four years in UTA. From 38 wins his first year, to 51 in the last Hayward year, to 48 this year, the guy can flat out coach. Everything Celtics fans love about Brad Stevens I’m sure Jazz fans feel about Snyder. As more and more stars seem to want to gravitate to good coaches, he for sure becomes a selling point to prospective free agents.

Plus, who wouldn’t want to play with this?

So while Mitchell may not be fully aware of what his team can actually afford, he’s right to say that UTA is a legit destination. Pretty wild ride for Jazz fans I’m sure after there was so much unknown after Hayward left, with the emergence of Mitchell who looks like an absolute stud, the Jazz are definitely poised to be a Top 3/4 team in the West moving forward. That may be worth it for a prospective FA to want to join, even if they have to be in bed by like 8pm because there are probably no clubs or wild nightlife in Salt Lake.

I don’t think George ends up joining the Jazz, but it would not shock me if we see someone commit to them in the near future.