The Toronto Raptors have been linked to Kevin Durant heavily in recent weeks, but a more realistic (albeit slightly) trade possibility could be Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. While the rival Knicks are the frontrunners, Toronto is keeping their name firmly mixed in the race.
Shams Charania reported that the Raptors are one of a handful of teams that are keeping their tendrils extended and trying to convince Danny Ainge to part with his prized guard. After moving away from Rudy Gobert, Utah is starting to move towards a huge rebuild.
The Raptors have assets like OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. to offer the Jazz, but they won’t be the only team that tries to put their fingers in the Mitchell pie. This includes teams with an immediate path to contention or a desire to escape the play-in tournament.
The Raptors are better positioned to land Mitchell than any one of these three teams. This could help them beat out some of their non-New York competition if they are serious about giving the backcourt a severe shot in the arm when the season comes around.
3 teams the Toronto Raptors could beat out for Donovan Mitchell.
3. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets went from an intriguing play-in team to an even more chaotic mess overnight. Between hiring retread Steve Clifford after the Kenny Atkinson debacle and Miles Bridges potentially in line for a long prison stint if convicted of some disgusting crimes, this offseason has been a mess.
While the Hornets were named in the Mitchell rumors, a team with Mitchell and LaMelo Ball in the backcourt would be one step above playing 5-on-4 on the defensive end. For a defensive-minded coach in Clifford, gutting the team for Mitchell could be a significant negative on his scheme.
Donovan Mitchell helps the Toronto Raptors more than the Hornets.
The assets Charlotte has to offer won’t exactly blow the doors off Ainge. With Bridges in legal limbo, the best players the Hornets could flip include Kelly Oubre Jr. and Terry Rozier. Not ideal. Adding Mark Williams could be redundant due to Utah picking up Walker Kessler in the Gobert move.
The Hornets need more defensive standouts and a low-post scorer that can replace Bridges. Going all-in on Mitchell and playing ABA-style breakneck basketball is not going to be a viable strategy in an Eastern Conference getting stronger by the year.
2. Sacramento Kings
The Kings may still have their playoff drought looming over them, but a team led by names like De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis could help them make some noise. Sacramento might want to make one more big addition to turn themselves into a viable playoff team.
Assuming that Sacramento wants to keep Fox, Sabonis, and Keegan Murray, a combination of Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell, and a haul of draft picks may be enough to get Ainge on the phone. However, the Raptors might be a better schematic fit for Mitchell.
The Toronto Raptors have more assets than the Kings.
With the Kings lacking a bench, they would need to sacrifice multiple starters for a ball-dominant guard that plays alongside…a ball-dominant guard in Fox. How will Sabonis and Murray look being relegated to third and fourth string? Will Mitchell improve Mike Brown’s defense?
Sacramento has some pieces to work with, and Mitchell would be the best player not named Demarcus Cousins to suit up for them in years, but the Raptors are simply a better fit for Mitchell. The Jazz would like OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr. more than any moveable piece on the Kings.
1. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks were without question the most puzzling team that appeared in trade rumors for Mitchell. Atlanta’s most tradeable assets were their draft picks, but most have since been sent away to a rebuilding Spurs team to acquire Dejounte Murray.
With so many draft picks in San Antonio’s possession thanks to the Murray trade, the best assets that the Hawks could send to Utah are a pair of big men in Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu. While Okongwu would be a nice young player, does it really make sense for Atlanta or Utah?
The Toronto Raptors are a better landing spot than the Hawks.
The Raptors can surrender role players like Anunoby and Trent and still create a vicious big four of Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and Fred VanVleet. The Young-Mitchell-Murray lineup could be a defensive nightmare thanks to Trae’s poor play on that end, and they would be completely sucked dry of any bench.
The Hawks may have been included by whoever leaked this information to Charania on behalf of the Jazz to drum up more of a market. It seems unlikely that Atlanta will get Mitchell, especially if Toronto remains invested in him to such an intense degree.