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Report: Wizards interested in trade for All-Star Donovan Mitchell

By Chase Hughes

Report: Wizards interested in Donovan Mitchell originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

While the NBA offseason has slowed down with the draft, free agency and Summer League behind us, there are still several high-profile stars who could be traded before training camp opens. According to a report by the Athletic, the Wizards have expressed interest in one of them and, no, it’s not Kevin Durant.

Shams Charania of the Athletic says the Wizards have contacted the Utah Jazz about star guard Donovan Mitchell. Here is what Charania wrote Monday morning:

“Along with New York, several other teams have expressed interest to the Jazz when it comes to Mitchell, such as Washington, Miami, Toronto, Charlotte, Sacramento and Atlanta, according to sources.”

Mitchell is a three-time All-Star and he’s only 25 years old, so getting him would be a tremendous feat for the Wizards who could then pair him with Bradley Beal, also a three-time All-Star. Beal and Mitchell would form one of the best offensive duos in the NBA. Both technically play the same position at shooting guard, but they can each handle the ball and make plays for others. Acquiring Mitchell would set aside any perceived overlap and focus on the simple fact the Wizards would have two very good players to build around.

Getting such a deal done, however, would definitely be difficult. After the Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a collection of players, four first-round picks and a pick swap, the price for stars has seemingly been subject to inflation. The 2023, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks sent to Utah are unprotected, for instance.

The fact the Jazz were the team that agreed to that trade would suggest it’s a fairly accurate framework for what it would take to acquire Mitchell. And if they want even more first-round picks, that could put the Wizards at a disadvantage, as they still have their firsts from 2023 through 2026 tied up in protections due to the John Wall-Russell Westbrook trade.

If the Jazz wanted three first-round picks and a pick swap, the Wizards could not currently offer that. NBA teams can only trade draft picks up to seven years in the future and the next four firsts for the Wizards are currently part of the Wall-Westbrook deal.

Mitchell, though, is the type of talent that a team like the Wizards could justify getting creative for. He’s a very dynamic player and young enough to where he should have many years left in his prime. If they got Mitchell, he and Beal would likely make them a perennial playoff team with a chance to go on deep postseason runs.

There are considerable hurdles for a deal to get done, but the Wizards are evidently still trying to improve the roster and are thinking big.

Wizards lose third straight as James Harden records 17 assists for 76ers

By Chase Hughes
Wizards lose third straight as Harden records 17 assists originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonWASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 118-111 on Halloween at Capital One Arena. Here are five takeaways from what went down...Three in a rowThe Wizards were 3-1 through their first four games this season, but a lot can change in a short period of time as it only took four days for them to lose three consecutive games, leaving them at 3-4. After losing to the Pacers at home and the Celtics on the road, they returned home for a lopsided defeat at the hands of the Sixers.Philly played without superstar Joel Embiid, who sat with a non-COVID illness. But James Harden (23 points, 17 assists) and Tyrese Maxey (28 points) were plenty enough for them to get the win. The Sixers created separation with a +13 margin in the third quarter and were able to hold the Wizards off after that.The Wizards fell to 3-4 on the season and it won't get any easier moving forward. They see the Sixers again on Wednesday, then the Nets and Grizzlies after that.No Embiid changed some thingsWithout Embiid, the Sixers went micro with P.J. Tucker starting at center. He's 6-foot-5, which means he had a 10-inch height disadvantage battling the 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis in the post. Porzingis was able to capitalize with a strong offensive game of 32 points (10-16 FG) to go along with nine rebounds, but Tucker held his own in other areas, as he usually does. He did a nice job of creating openings for Sixers' guards off screens and broke free for a few baskets of his own, scoring 13 points.Former Wizards fan favorite Montrezl Harrell also made a big difference in the second half, partly leading to Taj Gibson replacing Daniel Gafford in the second unit. Where the Wizards probably wish they took advantage more is in the paint. The Sixers outdid the Wizards in paint points, 56-50. Deni to the benchBefore the game, when asked the customary question of whether he would use the same starters, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. responded with a vague "maybe." It wasn't clear at the time if that actually meant a change was coming, as he could have just been practicing gamesmanship. But sure enough, there was a new lineup, as Deni Avdija moved to the bench after starting the first six games. He was replaced by Anthony Gill.Avdija only played 11 minutes in the Wizards' loss to the Celtics on Sunday night, as Unseld Jr. went away from him after a poor defensive start, albeit due to some very difficult assignments. Avdija played 17 minutes in this one and played better. He had a rough beginning, but rallied to get some stops against Harden and was able to show a little bit more of his passing ability with a handful of assists. That's the thing about Avdija coming off the bench. While he balances out the starting lineup well, he should have more of an opportunity to spread his wings offensively in the second unit.Slow start for BealAfter going scoreless in the first half of Sunday's loss for the first time since 2018, Bradley Beal managed only four points in the first half against Philadelphia. He was better in the third quarter, with eight points in the frame, and ended up with 20 points for the night on 7-for-18 shooting with four turnovers. With 12 points against Boston, that means he combined to score 32 points in two games. It wasn't long ago that was a single-game number for Beal.Beal, though, has had a heck of a time against two tough defenses on back-to-back nights. Against Philly, he saw a lot of contact, yet only got to the line four times. He's in a bit of a rut right now and the referees seem intent on not lending any help. It will be interesting to see if the Wizards do anything differently next game to try to shake his slump.Still waiting on KispertCorey Kispert sat out once again due to his sprained left ankle, despite last week practicing for the Wizards and being described by Unseld Jr. as "really close." According to the Wizards' coach, Kispert continues to make progress practicing with the Capital City Go-Go. He's just not quite ready yet.Wednesday will mark four weeks since Kispert's injury was first revealed and the original timeline was 4-6 weeks. So, given that, it probably shouldn't be a surprise he hasn't played yet, even though it seemed like his return was imminent late last week. The Wizards play their next game on Wednesday and that will technically be within the original window the team gave as a projection. Maybe he plays against Philly. If not, the Wizards' next game is Friday vs. the Nets.
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