The Utah Jazz suffered yet another early exit from the postseason, as they were knocked out in six games by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2022 NBA Postseason. What makes this loss even more embarrassing is the fact that the Dallas Mavericks played half of the series without their best player, Luka Doncic.
Doncic was nursing a calf injury the first three games of the series in which the Mavericks opened up a 2-1 lead. Utah evened the series in Game 4 in the waning seconds before being defeated in Games 5 and 6.
This has become a troubling trend for the Jazz, who have found plenty of success in the regular season under Quin Synder but the playoffs have not been as fruitful. This offseason, the organization could be heading toward some major changes.
One of the players amid those rumors is their All-Star center, Rudy Gobert. Gobert and fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but they were able to put aside their differences and focus on the court. Well, it sounds as if that is no longer possible, as their relationship may be beyond repair.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Best & Worst Trade Destinations For Jazz Star Rudy Gobert
According to Sean O’Connell, Rudy Gobert is planning on offering an ultimatum to the Utah Jazz. Either he or Donovan Mitchell stays, as Gobert is planning to demand one of them be traded in the next few days as he does not believe that the duo can win a championship together.
Both players would be able to fetch a solid trade package in return. Gobert is an elite defender and could have some offensive potential to unlock as the Jazz don’t seem willing to let him take advantage of mismatches in the post. There are plenty of teams that would love to add him as an anchor to their defense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Best & Worst Trade Destinations For Jazz Star Rudy Gobert
Mitchell struggled with his shot this postseason, but he has proven he can be a prolific scorer in the playoffs. Only 25-years old, he would be costly to trade for, but numerous teams have been linked to him. The New York Knicks and Miami Heat are two of the most prominently named landing spots.
That is certainly a bold move for Rudy Gobert. Out of the two, Donovan Mitchell is certainly the one that the Utah Jazz would rather retain and build around, as he is nearly five years younger than Gobert and is thought of more highly around the league.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Best & Worst Trade Destinations For Jazz Star Rudy Gobert
Regardless of how things shake out, Utah is going to look a lot different during the 2022-23 season than they did at the end of this season.
