The Utah Jazz made one of the biggest moves in the 2022 NBA offseason by trading Rudy Gobert, but did they also make a misstep or two?
The Jazz were unquestionably victorious over the 2022 NBA offseason. They wielded some crazy magic in the Gobert deal because they received a king's ransom that was historically reserved only for top-five-level players in the league. They received Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt in the trade with Minnesota. All of them might actually be rerouted somewhere.
This big move and all these pieces put the Jazz in a fantastic position to tank, especially if they also manage to trade star guard Donovan Mitchell. They couldn't have asked for a better start to their complete rebuild, assuming team executive Danny Ainge and the front office believe their days of title contention with this generation are completely over.
Recall that after a standout regular season in 2021-2022, the Jazz could have attempted a comeback with the same starting lineup. They could have hoped that Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and company would escape another early playoff departure. Instead, they have decided to blow everything up. That may seem painful for Jazz fans, but it was necessary. The Gobert-Mitchell-Conley core has seen its best days. It's time to move on.
Utah could no longer be certain that Gobert was good enough defensively to make up for imbalances and inadequacies elsewhere on the team. For a player like Gobert, getting four first-round picks (three of which are unprotected) was a huge haul. It was may be better than anyone could have imagined. Additionally, it also helped set the pricing for other big-name stars, especially one named Kevin Durant.
LOL: NBA executives have been "bitching" about the return the Jazz received in the Rudy Gobert trade with the #Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/q4khEH220f
— SKOR North (@SKORNorth) July 16, 2022
To be honest, though, there's no guarantee that the Gobert — three-time Defensive Player of the Year — would have depreciated in value over the course of a contract that will pay him $169.7 million over the next four seasons. He remains an elite center in the NBA, especially in the context of rim protection and rebounding. Having said that, what the Jazz did makes sense. They found a way to move Gobert while he was still close to the top of his market value.
On the flip side, in pure basketball terms, the Jazz also lost two of their top three defenders in O'Neale and House. This put them on the road to a full season of tanking. They are hoping this will result in another valuable pick — possibly the top pick. That could materialize, especially if they deal Mitchell and continue down this path.
Keep in mind that not all teams are looking to immediately strengthen their roster or bring in new players during the offseason. Some teams choose to offload instead of reload. Some teams choose to rebuild instead of reinforce. The Jazz are clearly offloading talent to acquire draft assets that will help them rebuild. That kind of mindset deserves praise. They made the challenging but wise choice to move a step backward in the short term in the hopes that the benefits would outweigh the costs in the long run.
Remember, too, that the architect is none other than Ainge himself. He has a track record of rebuilding a team all the way to an NBA title, and he sure looks like he is establishing the same groundwork here in Salt Lake City.
As things stand, though, the Jazz are still waiting for one major domino to fall.
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Jazz's worst move of 2022 NBA offseason
Not trading Donovan Mitchell… yet
The Jazz are reportedly willing to listen to trade scenarios for Donovan Mitchell, per @wojespn.
Utah reportedly shut down trade talks involving Donovan Mitchell after the Rudy Gobert trade. pic.twitter.com/Zxl1fgairO
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 12, 2022
Donovan Mitchell is the current focus of the NBA. The fact that the Jazz have not been able to trade him yet is the only dark cloud on their collective horizon.
A few weeks ago, following the trade that sent Gobert to Minnesota, many fans worried about the prospect of Mitchell being included in another trade as well. The uncertainty was palpable.
Now, however, it's crystal clear that the Jazz are shopping Mitchell around. We are talking about a bona fide star here. Keep in mind that since joining the NBA, Mitchell has averaged over 20 points per game in every season. In fact, he has already established himself as an All-Star. Now at only 25 years old, he also has plenty of time to continue growing his overall game.
When in good health, Mitchell is willing and hungry to perform at his best. He can carry the weight of an entire team. Most importantly, Mitchell is without a doubt the team's leader and can be a crucial component in Utah's pursuit of an NBA title. Overall, Mitchell has a lot going for him.
For Jazz fans, it sucks that another team will eventually reap what they might have sown. On the other hand, today's loss may open the door for an abundance of future gains.
And that's why the Jazz should have a greater sense of urgency in finding a deal for Mitchell. Each day that passes without having him traded just muddles up the team's total rebuild plans for the future.
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