Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal

The Utah Jazz do this deal because they’ve been forced into a rebuild. If the rumor mill is to be trusted, that’s a strong possibility this summer.

It’s been widely suggested that Donovan Mitchell may force his way out of town. In that event, the Jazz will likely feel an incentive to trade Gobert as well. Hanging on to the 29-year-old doesn’t make sense for a team that’s losing its offensive engine.

This is, in all likelihood, the best value the Jazz can get for Gobert. In fact, placing a value on him is generally difficult. On the one hand, he’s the best rim protector in basketball.

On the other hand, he’s an offensively limited player making max money. This feels like a fair return.

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The Jazz receive a similarly limited player who’s 5 years Gobert’s junior, and a little bit of draft capital to boot. Assuming they’re in rebuild mode this summer, they’re not likely to get better assets for Gobert.

Is it worth the Knicks’ time to give them to them?