The Utah Jazz picked up three more first-round picks in a surprising trade, sending Donovan Mitchell to the Cavs. How many picks do they have now?
After weeks of negotiation and speculation focused on the New York Knicks, the Jazz made a hard pivot and traded Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal isn’t quite as rich as the return they got for Rudy Gobert, but they will land three future first-round picks, a pair of pick swaps and a trio of talented young players — Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Ochi Agbaji.
This summer the Jazz have now swapped their two franchise cornerstones for a whopping seven first-round picks. So what does their total haul of future picks look like now?
It has not yet been reported exactly which picks the Cavs will be sending to Utah or what years the pick swaps will be taking place. However, we know that the Cavs already owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Indiana Pacers and league rules prevent them from trading first-round picks in back-to-back seasons, which makes it likely that the picks heading to Utah are in 2025, 2027 and 2029. That makes for an impressive NBA Draft war chest the Jazz now own.
Check out all these Utah Jazz draft picks
- 2023 first-round pick — own
- 2023 first-round pick — from HOU, BKN or PHI*
- 2023 first-round pick — from MIN (unprotected)
- 2024 first-round pick — owed to OKC
- 2025 first-round pick — own
- 2025 first-round pick — from MIN (unprotected)
- 2025 first-round pick — from CLE (unprotected)
- 2026 first-round pick — own (swap with MIN**)
- 2027 first-round pick — own
- 2027 first-round pick — from MIN (unprotected)
- 2027 first-round pick — from CLE (unprotected)
- 2028 first-round pick — own
- 2029 first-round pick — own
- 2029 first-round pick — from MIN (unprotected)
- 2029 first-round pick — from CLE (unprotected)
In addition to what’s here, the Jazz will also have two pick swaps with the Cavaliers which could be as early as the 2024 draft. Since the other pick swap could be rolled in with the Timberwolves in 2026, giving Utah the best of the three, or in 2028.
So, over the next seven drafts, the Jazz hold the rights to 13 first-round picks, as well as a 2026 pick swap with the Timberwolves and two more pick swaps with the Cavs in years that are still to be determined. That’s quite a haul. And there are several players on the roster, including veterans like Mike Conley Jr. and Jordan Clarkson, who could be flipped for additional picks as the roster turns over towards youth.
Additional details:
* Per RealGM, Utah receives the least favorable of the first-round picks owned by Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Houston.
** Per RealGM, the Jazz owe their 2024 first-round pick to the Thunder, top-10 protected. If that pick has been conveyed by 2025, they hold a pick swap with the Timberwolves.