There has been a lot of chatter surrounding the Utah Jazz in recent weeks. They failed to add the impact, defensive-minded wing player, at the NBA trade deadline that they were seeking, leaving them a step below the upper echelon teams in the league.
Utah scoured the market, being linked to players such as Harrison Barnes and Jerami Grant. But, without many assets to build a package with, Utah settled for a three-team deal involving the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs that brought Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Juancho Hernangomez to Salt Lake City.
Not the splash they were hoping for, but the front office did all they could. There will certainly be a lot of pressure on the team to succeed the remainder of the season, as the future of their franchise could depend on it.
There has been a lot of reporting on the relationship, or lack thereof, between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The two reportedly had issues the past season or two and rumors began floating around that Mitchell could look to leave the team.
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The Miami Heat are said to be a preferred landing spot, along with the New York Knicks. Should the Utah Jazz fall short in the postseason once again, Donovan Mitchell could very well ask to be traded and move onto another team.
Earlier this week, Mitchell touched on his relationship with Rudy Gobert. He was brutally honest when discussing the relationship and said they are both focused on the same goal, which is to win basketball games.
“First of all, we’re good. I just want to go on record with saying that. I think it’s interesting that stuff happens, and he and I have never played at this high of a level together since we’ve been here. So I make the joke, ‘For a group that hates each other, man, we’re playing pretty well.’
“And we can be even better. We’re good. We’re focused on winning. We have a common goal. I think that’s the biggest thing. You don’t always have to be the best of friends with people you work with. But at the end of the day, if you work towards a common goal that’s beneficial to the team, that’s what’s first. We want to win, and I don’t think either of us are worried about what’s being said around us.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Have Jazz Finally Turned The Corner Amid Gobert’s Return?
While it sounds like some of the issues may have been smoothed out, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert aren’t going to be best friends any time soon. They share a common goal of winning, but what happens if the team cannot get the job done on the court?
Utah has an incredible offense, but their defense isn’t nearly as reliable, especially in crunch time. They are lacking that go-to, shutdown defender on the wing, which is why they were looking so hard leading up to the deadline.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Have Jazz Finally Turned The Corner Amid Gobert’s Return?
The Utah Jazz are barely holding onto home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, as they are only three games ahead of the sixth-place Denver Nuggets. If they continue falling in the standings or have an early exit from the postseason again, there could be major changes in Salt Lake City this offseason.
