Tag: donovan mitchell

Jazz exercise contract option on Donovan Mitchell

Jazz exercise contract option on Donovan Mitchell

In a 100 percent expected move, the Utah Jazz have exercised their third-year team option on guard Donovan Mitchell for the 2019-20 season.

Mitchell (6-3, 215, Louisville) led all rookies last season in scoring at 20.5 points per game and total points (1,616), joining David Robinson (1989-90), Larry Bird (1979-80), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-70) and Wilt Chamberlain (1959-60) as one of the last five rookies, and only guard, to lead their team in scoring while their squad won 45-or-more games. During the 2017-18 season, Mitchell was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month four times (December, January, February and March/April), also setting an NBA rookie record for three-pointers made in a single season (187). Following last year’s campaign, Mitchell was unanimously named to the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team and was dubbed the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year at the 2018 ESPY Awards.

The 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner averaged 24.4 points over 11 postseason games, becoming the first rookie to average over 20 points in the postseason since Tim Duncan in 1998. He set a Jazz playoff rookie scoring record with 33 points against Oklahoma City on April 23, passing Karl Malone who had 31 points on April 20, 1986 against Dallas and then broke his own rookie record with a 38-point performance against the Thunder on April 27 in Game 6, helping Utah advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.

Donovan Mitchell undecided on trying to defend dunk title

Nobody is thinking about 2019 All-Star weekend yet. But when the guy who won the 2018 dunk title is in front of you, it makes sense to ask if he’s thinking of trying to defend it. Here’s the Deseret News reporting on young Jazz star Donovan Mitchell:

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is certainly focused on reaching new heights in his sophomore campaign, but the rising star hasn’t decided on whether or not he’ll be defending his slam dunk title.

“I don’t know … that’s a good question,” Mitchell said during Monday’s Utah Jazz Media Day. “I don’t know, we’ll see. I’ll leave it there.”

All-Star Weekend 2019 will be played in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Feb. 15-17.

As a rookie, Mitchell reached a new level of popularity after winning the slam dunk crown at Los Angeles’ Staples Center as a late addition.

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Jazz sign rookie Donovan Mitchell

The Utah Jazz have signed guard Donovan Mitchell, the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, to his rookie contract.

Mitchell (6-3, 215, Louisville) played two seasons at Louisville, averaging 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.7 assists in 34 games as a sophomore. He registered 18.1 points per game in conference play, sixth-best in the ACC. Mitchell led the Cardinals in scoring, steals, three-point field goals (80) and minutes per game (32.3). He was selected to the 2017 All-ACC First Team by the league coaches and media as well as the All-ACC Defensive Team.

The 20-year-old is currently playing as member of the Jazz entry at the 2017 Utah Jazz Summer League, scoring 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting with five assists, three steals and two rebounds in his NBA debut on July 3 vs. San Antonio Spurs.

The 6-3 guard played high school basketball at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. He also played baseball (pitcher and shortstop) as well as soccer (goalie) in high school.

He will wear jersey #45 for the Jazz.