Small-market teams are always at a disadvantage when it comes to retaining star players. The likes of Lillard, Alphabet Brother and Bill are constantly associated with teams in the larger market, and there seem to be always rumors of these people in the trading market. More recently, Donovan Mitchell has joined the bandwagon.
According to U.S. media Five Reasons Sports reporter Greg Sylvander, if Mitchell chooses to leave the Jazz, the Heat will be its first choice, followed by the Knicks. It has previously been reported that Mitchell is worried that the Salt Lake City market is too small to affect its development. Mitchell also said in an interview that he has been a Heat fan since he was a child.
For such a deal rumor, Mitchell himself stood up and chose to open the rumor. He said: "When we lose, the media likes to say a lot of things. When we win, those voices disappear. We have to keep going and try to win the championship, that's the goal. We won't stop until we do it. We have a great group of people and the performance during this time doesn't say anything. ”
With Mitchell and Gobert, the Jazz have the core to be able to compete with anyone in the league. But after repeated playoff losses, it's doubtful that the Jazz really pose a threat to the championship. Until the title is won, that skepticism will remain there until the team can prove that they can win when it matters most.
Meanwhile, Mitchell will continue to fight and focus on helping the Jazz win. While the years ahead are still uncertain, the young star knows what he wants, and his eyes are straight at the prizes.