Donovan Mitchell could leave Jazz if Utah exits playoffs early?

The Utah Jazz may be in serious danger of tripping the “He Gone” alarm if they are not careful.

Ric Bucher of FOX Sports reported this week that there is “incessant buzz” that some in Donovan Mitchell’s circle think he is too big of a star for Utah. Bucher adds that some believe it will not be long before Mitchell leaves to go to the New York Knicks, even quoting one anonymous Eastern Conference scout who thinks it could happen if the Jazz suffer another early playoff exit.

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

Mitchell, the two-time All-Star, has played his entire five-season career with the Jazz. But the team has never gone past the second round of the playoffs over that span. That is despite Mitchell’s continued ascendance as a player, as he now a nightly 25-point, five-rebound, five-assist guy roughly.

Granted, Mitchell, the New York native, is under contract until at least 2025. That means that if he wants to end up on the Knicks, Mitchell would have to demand a trade from Utah. But even that would not be the craziest scenario since we already heard Mitchell himself might be craving a bigger market. There have also recently been renewed concerns about Mitchell’s relationship with his Jazz teammates.