Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz just suffered another playoff disappointment, falling to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs in six games. The loss was made even more disappointing by the fact that the Mavs only had Luka Doncic for half the series. Now, everybody is assuming the Jazz are going to make some major moves this offseason.
Mitchell is at the center of it all. There has been some speculation about his desire to leave Utah, but for right now, The Athletic's Tony Jones reports the Jazz are fully committed to building around Mitchell. Utah has no intention of taking a step back and would prefer not to trade the 25-year-old guard.
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
If this is true, one would then guess that Rudy Gobert will be on the way out. While Mitchell and Gobert have enjoyed a lot of regular-season success together, it just hasn't worked well enough in the playoffs and their relationship doesn't seem strong enough to give this yet another go. It's time to try something new, and Utah should be able to get value for Gobert despite his massive contract. He's still one of the best defensive players in the NBA.
Of course, Mitchell will have some say in how this all plays out. If the Jazz star wants out, he could demand a trade and force the franchise's hand. There are no signs that something like this is imminent, but things change quickly in the NBA.
Even after a shaky playoff series, Mitchell would bring back a nice haul (maybe from the New York Knicks?), so Utah should at least be open to a trade no matter what. Everything will surely be on the table given the circumstances, though it seems trading Mitchell would be a last resort.
Follow Us
Subscribe