MITCHELL'S INFLUENCE WAS felt in a flurry of moves during the 2021 offseason, including one noteworthy departure and several additions. Mike Elliott, vice president of performance health care, "decided to pursue other opportunities outside the organization," the Jazz announced in a news release at the beginning of training camp.
Mitchell, team sources said, had lost confidence in Elliott during the recovery process after spraining his right ankle in mid-April 2021, an injury that sidelined the All-Star the final month of the regular season.
Mitchell then increasingly relied on the expertise of his
personal athletic training staff, which was assembled by his representation at Creative Arts Agency and led by Miami-based David Alexander.
Mitchell became irate when Elliott determined before Utah's playoff opener that he wasn't ready to return, a decision made after Mitchell had been informed by another member of the team's medical staff that he
was cleared and participated in the morning shootaround.
Sources say Mitchell, who aggravated the injury later in the first round and was hampered defensively due to his limited lateral quickness the rest of the playoffs, didn't demand Elliott's departure.
Smith, Wade and team executives had been alarmed by how the situation unfolded. And staffers who clash with stars -- and by extension the front office and ownership -- usually don't stick around.
Among the additions:
- Murphy Grant was hired by the Jazz as an athletic trainer dedicated solely to Mitchell. Grant, who had been a senior associate athletic director and athletics health care administrator at Wake Forest, interviewed initially with Mitchell, Mitchell's mother Nicole, and one of his agents.
- Irv Roland, a respected player development coach who worked with James Harden in Houston, was added to Snyder's coaching staff. Mitchell had often worked during offseasons with Roland, who has emerged as a strong voice for social justice causes in his native Oklahoma and around the nation in recent years. Roland works with Mitchell during pregame and individual sessions.
- Frank Donalds, Mitchell's personal security guard, was put on the Jazz's payroll, a perk that is common for NBA franchises to give high-profile stars.
- Mitchell strongly suggested the Jazz acquire forward Eric Paschall, his childhood friend. Paschall, who like Mitchell is represented by CAA agent Ty Sullivan, had been a first-team All-Rookie selection in 2019-20 but fell out of the Golden State Warriors' rotation in the latter half of last season. The Jazz ultimately traded a protected future second-round pick for Paschall.
A clear message had been sent: Mitchell's comfort in Utah was a top organizational priority.
