Jazz Reporter: Donovan Mitchell Will Sign New Max Contract Before Next Season

The Utah Jazz and guard Donovan Mitchell may come to terms on a max contract extension in the near future.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Mitchell "genuinely loves playing for the Jazz" and "will sign a max contract extension at some point before next season."

The 23-year-old Mitchell, who was named an All-Star for the first time this season, was the second NBA player to test positive for the coronavirus after teammate and fellow All-Star Rudy Gobert.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported earlier this month that Mitchell was "extremely frustrated" with Gobert's carelessness and failure to take COVID-19 seriously, but Gobert has since apologized for his actions—which included touching digital recorders belonging to reporters—before being diagnosed.

Gobert also donated $500,000 to support workers at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Utah and aid in coronavirus relief efforts in Oklahoma City and his native France.

Mitchell fell to No. 13 overall in the 2017 draft, and it quickly became clear he was a steal. The former Louisville standout averaged 20.5 points per game as a rookie and finished second to Ben Simmons in the 2018 Rookie of the Year voting.

He took a step forward in his second season and improved once again in his third campaign with averages of 24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game before the season was suspended.

At the time of the suspension, the Jazz were fourth in the Western Conference at 41-23 and were living up to preseason expectations to be one of the top teams in the West after adding Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic to a core that already included Mitchell and Gobert.

Signing Mitchell, a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 season, long term would be an ideal way to help solidify the Jazz as contenders in the Western Conference for years to come.