Why the Utah Jazz should do it
The Utah Jazz are in a peculiar position right now where their core is still a force to be reckoned with in the league, but changes could be forced in the face of consecutive early playoff exits. The credence behind Donovan Mitchell being the one to start the drastic shift has feeble footing, but what could be murmurs could soon turn into a big noise for the Northwestern powerhouse.
If the Jazz commit to making changes and aim to regain franchise flexibility, then dealing Mitchell will give them the best shot at an instant reboot. With Rudy Gobert still in town, Utah can afford to remain competitive, and their prospective returns from the Indiana Pacers are no slouches. Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield are consistent, high-octane contributors who should fit well in their current system. And the Pacers’ dangled draft picks are attractive to absorb.
However, if Utah goes full throttle on a rebuild, they will be able to consolidate even more draft capital when they want. Brogdon and Hield will easily fetch them draft picks and future assets if they deal them later to contenders in need, and Indiana’s sixth overall pick could be a great kickstart to supercharge a possible rebuild/reboot.
There are teams who can offer more attractive names on the table, but teams like the Knicks and the Heat will certainly put out semi-unwanted commodities, like the suddenly diminishing value of Julius Randle, the lengthy overpay that is Duncan Robinson, and possible poison pill Tyler Herro, whose upside could make teams overestimate his contract value. Really, the Jazz will have full flexibility in this trade scenario with the Pacers.