Rumors Swirl About Jazz’s Mitchell Preferring A Bigger Market

SALT LAKE CITY – Rumors continue to swirl that Donovan Mitchell may be looking to leave the Utah Jazz for a bigger market.

Fox Sports NBA analyst Ric Bucher reported that Utah’s small market reputation may fail to properly satisfy the All-Star guard.

“The incessant buzz around the league is that there are those in Mitchell’s circle who believe he is too big of a star for Salt Lake City,” Bucher wrote.

Jake Scott and Ben Anderson discussed Ric Bucher’s report on the Jake and Ben Show on Thursday. You can listen to the segment in the player below.

The analyst went on to credit an eastern conference scout as the source of the information.

“They’re a first-round exit from Donovan being in New York,” the scout told Bucher.

The Fox Sports analyst went on to criticize the Jazz performance this season, especially recent struggles in January.

The Jazz are a one-trick pony and a step behind the elite teams in the Western Conference. Nullify their 3-point-scoring advantage, and they are eminently beatable. It’s no coincidence that January is the first month this season in which Jazz opponents are averaging more 3s made, and Utah is 4-9 in the new year. 

Bucher isn’t wrong that the Jazz have struggled in the month of January, having lost nine of their last 11 games. He did however ignore that the main reason the team’s three-point shooting advantage has been nullified is due to an inordinate number of games lost to injury and COVID-19, especially at the top of the roster.

Amid one of the toughest weeks in recent @utahjazz memory, Donovan Mitchell addressed Rudy Gobert's comments about the team's defense, and rumors he'd prefer to play in a bigger market. #TakeNote | @KSLSports https://t.co/f7uEoXBmSv

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 15, 2022

But, Bucher isn’t the first national analyst to report that Mitchell may prefer to play in a bigger market.

Two weeks ago ESPN’s Tim MacMahon joined Brian Windhorst’s podcast and offered this insight on what he’s heard around the league.

“There is, I’m going to say, at least speculation around a league that market size might matter to him,” MacMahon reported.

Mitchell responded not by shooting down the rumors, but rather insisting his top focus is on winning a title with the Jazz.

“We’re trying to win, we have a goal, we have a common goal as a group and I don’t think based on our practice we give a … You know what I am going to say about whatever is being reported,” Mitchell said.

I asked Donovan Mitchell about the ESPN report saying he may want to play in a bigger market, he cut me off:

"Y'all like to talk a lot when we lose. I don't understand. Y'all like to just keep all the negative stuff when we start losing, when we're winning there's nothing said."

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 15, 2022

“We’re trying to win a championship, so I’ll just cut you off and answer that right there. That’s the goal and we’re not going to stop until we do. We have a great group of guys and this stretch doesn’t dictate who we are as a team.”

Mitchell has missed the Jazz last five games while recovering from a concussion.

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