After being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, the big question now for the Utah Jazz is this: what's next?

Utah made quite a splash last summer, and was considered as a dark horse in the West. The key addition of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic in the offseason were considered as huge wins for the Jazz and their title hopes, and to some extent, this proved to be true.

The Bogdanovic injury was a significant blow for the Jazz, and in the end, they felt the loss of their sharp-shooting swingman — and their second top scorer (20.2 points per game) behind Donovan Mitchell — in the playoffs much more than they had initially hoped.

At this point, it seems inevitable for the Jazz to make significant roster changes in the offseason. In the end, Utah's front office could give it another go for next season. But ultimately, they should explore the idea of pairing Mitchell with another superstar so as to propel this team to (hopefully) a legitimate title contender.

First off, let's look at Utah's assets. There aren't too many. Certainly not enough to pry a bona fide superstar from his current team, except of course, if the Jazz decide to break up their core.

Mitchell is as untouchable as one can get, and Utah has already indicated that they intend to offer him a max deal this summer, so he's not going anywhere.

That leaves Rudy Gobert. The Frenchman may have already mended fences with Mitchell, and it may be true that this pair has put the COVID-19 episode behind them. Then again, maybe not. Moreover, Gobert will be entering the final deal of his contract next season, so unless the Jazz put an extension on the table (which will require them to dig deep into their pockets), then the best option would be to move him now.

The one superstar we're looking at right now as a potential pairing for Mitchell in Utah is none other than Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid.

Like the Jazz, The Sixers also suffered a first-round exit, and will be having a long, hard look on their roster this coming season. They too have already insinuated that they want to keep both Embiid and Ben Simmons in Philly. But after years of disappointment, now might just be the year that The Process ends. Head coach Brett Brown has already gotten the boot, and it would not be a complete shock if Embiid follows suit.

So what would a Gobert-for-Embiid swap look like? A one-for-one might not be enough for the Sixers, so the Jazz will likely need to throw in a future draft pick and/or an expiring deal. As soon as they iron out the details, though, this could prove to be a win-win scenario for both parties.

The Sixers can now move on from the Embiid era, and focus all their attention in building their team around Simmons. Gobert, a former back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year winner, could serve as Philadelphia's new defensive stalwart, instantly propelling the Sixers as one of the best defensive teams in the East.

As for the Jazz, Embiid presents a tremendous upgrade from Gobert on the offensive end. Gobert is the better defender between the two, but perhaps not by much.

On paper, Utah seems to be a better fit for Embiid. For one, the Jazz are more adept in the half-court game, which is clearly one of the Embiid's strengths. He could finally get the usage rate he has been craving for down low in coach Quin Snyder's system.

The Jazz will also be able to surround Embiid with a myriad of shooters, which should only benefit his game. This was something that the Sixers was unable to offer to the Cameroonian during his time in Philly, and this potential change in scenery could work wonders for Embiid moving forward.

Mitchell is easily one of the brightest young stars in the league, and could very well emerge as one of the top two-guards in the entire NBA — if he isn't already. Pairing him with arguably the best big man in the league today in Embiid should spell trouble for the rest of the NBA.

At the end of the day, the Jazz are already a formidable team as it is. With Bogdanovic back in the mix next season, it isn't hard to see them challenging for the title next season. Then again, it also feels that they're one step away from being a legitimate contender.

Embiid might just be that one missing piece to the Jazz puzzle.