We know thanks to comments from several members of the front office that the Hawks will be major players this offseason as they seek to add a second star next to Trae Young, so could Donovan Mitchell be a target for Atlanta?
After news broke that Jazz head coach Quin Snyder had decided to resign, ESPN’s Adrain Wojnarowski reported that Mitchell, who signed a five-year extension in 2020, is "unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise's future.”
Mitchell’s name, along with Rudy Gobert, has been floated in possible trade rumors since Utah’s season ended, and Snyder’s exit will only add to that speculation in the coming weeks. It’s no secret that the Hawks need to add a second scoring threat next to Young, and they could certainly do a whole lot worse than a player who averages nearly 24 points per game over the first five years of his career.
However, the prospect of adding Mitchell raises two questions. What would the Hawks have to give up and could the Hawks overcome his defensive woes? To answer the former, Jon Chuckery recently gave his take on a potential package that Hawks GM Travis Schlenk would have to put together.
“I don’t know what it would take to get Donovan Mitchell, you know that probably starts costing you Bogi, probably John Collins, one or two draft picks, you know it’s going to take an impressive package. The question in the situation with Donovan Mitchell becomes; do the Hawks have an attractive enough package,” Chuckery said.
The Athletic recently reported that the Jazz "like De'Andre Hunter's game."
As for Mitchell’s defense, opponents made nearly 50% of their shot attempts with the shooting guard out of Louisville as the defender. That’s 2% higher than the defended field goal percentage for Young. If the Hawks are keen on making this move, they would have to add plenty of defensive help either in the draft or in free agency.
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, Schlenk and principal owner Tony Ressler have all stated that Atlanta will be aggressive this offseason, and while it comes with pros and cons, adding Mitchell would make a heck of a splash.