Following the Game 6 loss to Dallas that ended their season on Thursday night, the Jazz face an offseason of potential change. Asked after the game about what the future looks like, center Rudy Gobert and guard Jordan Clarkson both expressed a desire to remain in Utah, but acknowledged that decision could be out of their control, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links).
While forward Royce O’Neale asserted that “this group wants to stay together,” Gobert expressed uncertainty when he was asked whether the current roster has reached its ceiling (Twitter links via Walden).
“I don’t know,” Gobert said. “We have a lot of talent. This year we faced more adversity. I feel like we could be so much better. … You try to ask yourself why we can’t be consistent.”
As for star guard Donovan Mitchell, he said yes when he was asked after the game whether he wants to stick with the Jazz, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. When he was later asked to address speculation about the possibility of him eventually asking for a trade, Mitchell was less equivocal, but gave no indication that such a request is on his mind in the short term.
“My mindset is to win,” he said. “Right now, I’m not really looking at that. I answered (the first) question, and you could take that. But for me, I just want to win, yo. Like, this hurts. And like I said, I’ll think about it in a week and go from there. But right now, I’m not thinking at all about that.”
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- Tony Jones of The Athletic expects significant roster changes in Utah this summer, writing that at least one starter will likely be playing elsewhere next season. However, he hears from sources that the Jazz are committed to building around Mitchell and don’t plan to fully blow up the roster. If the team is open to trading Gobert, there are multiple teams that would be interested, but sources tell Jones that the three-time Defensive player of the Year remains “all in” on the Jazz and would like to spend the rest of his career with the organization.
- Within the same story, Jones says that Quin Snyder‘s future will be determined one way or the other in “the coming days and weeks.” Sources tell The Athletic that Utah’s front office has been happy with the job Snyder has done and that he hasn’t lost the locker room, so if a coaching change occurs, Snyder may be the one instigating it.
- In his offseason preview for the Jazz, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) argues that the team should remain focused on building around Mitchell and Gobert rather than breaking them up. While Utah has been hurt by small-ball lineups in playoff series in recent years, Marks says that’s more an indictment of the club’s perimeter defense than of Gobert.
- Even before Utah’s Game 6 loss on Thursday, Zach Kram of The Ringer contended that it was time for the franchise to admit its roster shortcomings and prepare to shake things up this summer. Kram explores whether it would be in the Jazz’s best interests to consider trading Gobert or Mitchell — or even both.
There are probably two fundamental flaws here – one fixable, one probably not.
The first is this idea that you should surround Gobert with subpar defenders to build a great regular season offense and good regular season defense.
This has been exposed for a few years now – in the playoffs all of those subpar defenders get exposed and Gobert is left watching opposing teams drain corner 3s all night. I think you can win with Gobert as a building block but need to go all in on having an elite defense a la Boston.
The second issue is – are Mitchell and Gobert truly a championship level star duo?
Gobert is doing his end, IMO. But Mitchell hasn’t developed into the heliocentric one-man offense (a la Luka, peak-Harden, Trae, et al) that you really need to complement Gobert.
If it were me I’d probably look to move Mitchell – I think Gobert is easier to build around and I think Mitchell probably has more market value.
I agree 100%. I rather build around Rudy and plus Donovan has more market value. I’ll do a coaching change too, i like Snyder but he had a couple of runs and couldn’t deliver. Maybe another coach can make Rudy more playable in the playoffs.
The time to move on from Donovan is now, anyone has some trade ideas for him?
This might be a huge stretch but maybe if Philadelphia loses in the next round and Harden opts out?
Mitchell for Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey?
76ers then have another superstar who can team up with Embiid and losing Maxey hurts since he is an absolute killer, but they get a younger player in Mitchell and get away from Harris’ contract?
Another deal I think probably would work send Mitchell to Indy (he played college ball in Louisville).
Mitchell for Hield/Turner and a future 1st top 10 protected? I agree with the original poster. I think we have seen Mitchell’s ceiling and he isn’t a great playmaker nor does he make his teammates better. He’s not a strong defender or perimeter shooter as well. The contract he signed, it’s difficult to find an actual trade partner that needs a 2 guard who is ball dominant as much as he is.
If I had to guess I would bet a lot of teams will value Maxey more than Mitchell by the end of the playoffs if Tyrese keeps putting up these types of numbers, given the difference in age and salary.
Would Indiana consider throwing Halliburton in that trade? If so, then I think it might have some traction
You’re wrong on that. Maxey has a long way to go to get into a “More valuable than Mitchell”conversation.
I get what you’re saying when it comes to salary but it doesn’t work like that.
Actually it kind of does? It’s part of the reason Indiana moved Sabonis for Halliburton as recently as two months ago.
To be clear I’m not saying Maxey is better than Mitchell right now – or even that Maxey would be viewed as more valuable a priori – but value absolutely does “work like that”.
Age and salary matters.
Maxey is under team control at a low salary. So yes, of course, he is “more valuable” to the team that has him under control at a low salary.
So while value “does work like that” It’s totally irrelevant. In fact, we could name about 50 guys more valuable than Mitchell if young players who are under team control and on low salaries are your criteria.
. That’s like saying a baseball player who is pre-arbitration is “more valuable” than a guy with similar stats making 40M a year. No kidding.
LOL – Halliburton was just moved under the premise of “value” equaling “young + good + on a rookie contract” so you’re just categorically incorrect on that.
Because it *literally* works like that – in fact, every time a franchise trades a future pick for a current player they’re operating under this very framework, that “youth + low cost = value”. Saying that “none of them will be moved” is nonsensical.
But we absolutely can have a discussion of “value” that’s divorced from age and salary and the specific parameters each franchise is operating under then sure we can do that.
It will just be a purely Platonic conversation that has no bearing on the actual offseason.
You got really jumpy and responded while I was editing my comment so most of what you responded to is gone. You gotta relax a bit, let things flow, give the person writing their 5 alloted minutes, you know?
Maxey is more valuable because he makes less money. Is that all you’re trying to say? We all get that. But we could say that about 50 other guys too who are young and under team control.
It’s apples and oranges dude.
Apologies – it just doesn’t take all that long to pen explanations of fairly straightforward concepts.
Anyway, my line of thinking here has already been pretty clearly iterated in my previous posts – I never spoke in absolute terms vis-a-vis Maxey or Mitchell. Yet you seem to be struggle to think outside of them (i.e. “Maxey is more valuable because he makes less money” etc etc).
I’d be interested to see the 50 players you think are more valuable than Mitchell because they’re on their rookie deals; other than that I’ve explained by thinking pretty clearly.
Have a nice day
No, it’s ok you got really excited to type “LOL”. I get it, it happens.
Did we say “rookie deals”? I thought we were just talking about lower-paid players under team control?
Is Maxey the only one you can think of? There certainly are quite a few under your criteria. Sorry I didn’t follow at first, the whole concept of “cheaper is better” was something I thought so obvious it wasn’t worth talking about.
I see 2 options
Blow it ALL up, trade everyone with an ounce of value . Take back bad money….Hayward and Oubre ++ for Gobert…completely reset (3 or 4 different trades/dumps go down in this scenario)
or
Run it back
I don’t really think they can tinker they’re way outta this. There’s No cap, theres No real youth getting better rostered, it’s going to be tough attracting players on their exceptions as every bodies going to be relying on exceptions this year and Utah’s a tough draw
Real tough spot here
Always at least three options bro.
Usually four.
Jazz should make everyone available
But take upgrade trade only
Trade Rudy Gobert for Pascal Siakam. Both have similar salaries/age and worn out their welcome in both their respective teams. Trade Jordan Clarkson who thinks he is Devin Booker but he can’t shoot from the perimeter (31% this year). I think they can go get Terrance Ross who is on a similar contract and is a MUCH better defender and shooter. Extending Conley was a huge mistake. He is aging quicker than that they thought with that deal. They need to find an athletic PG who can break down the defense and also shoot respectively from the 3 Pt land. They do not possess their own 1st round pick until 2025 with restrictions which at that point Mitchell has a Player option in the 2025/26 season. This team needs to blow it up. I would trade Bogdanovic for Gallinari. Solves needs for both teams and similar deals. I just don’t see this team coming back the way they are constructed. They need to go smaller against way more athletic and better shooting teams.
PG – Conley
SG – Mitchell
SF – O Neal
PF – Siakam
C – Drummond/McGee/Looney (any one of them)
Bench: Gay/Gallinari/NAW/Hernangomez/
They also need to find a younger PG and put Conley in a 6th man role eventually. His contract is immovable unless you attached a future 1st round pick but I don’t see that happening with a team that cannot attract marquee Free Agents anyways.
They will be a worse defensive team overall and mayber worst offensively. Bogdanovic is at this point clearly better than Gallinari, Clarkson is better than T.Ross too… Clarkson scores more and more efficent.
I’m not sure if Clarkson is more efficient. He hit brick city outside the paint in the 1st round series. He needs to be more a paint guy rather than a shooter. Maybe bring back Ingles since he was their glue guy? I agree with you on Bogy being a better player overall but they need perimeter scoring from their bigs. They have absolutely got nothing from their bigs if it isn’t Gobert dunking 5-7 times a game. It’s all about roster construction at this point. Clearly, this team isn’t a title contender with these guys, and last three years have shown major disappointment.
So Clarkson shooting 31 percent from 3 is bad but you think they should get rid of him and get Ross who shot 29 percent?
Gallinari isn’t in the same league as Bogdanovich.
Ross had a career worst year, but he is a career 3 point shooter 36% I see what you are saying but you do think this team is title is contender with Clarkson jacking so many 3’s? Questionable shot selection, and not a good defender. Ross is a better defender and is taller 6’6 as to Clarkson’s 6’4. I see him fitting with Mitchell better than Clarkson.
Watched the last 5 minutes of the game and Utah looked like a team without a PG. Where was Donavan at? Conley took the ball on many of the trips to the hoop and failed. They need a better PG that can pass. Donavan should have been the man that got the ball but he was nowhere to be seen.
The funny thing is that Utah was the number 1 offense in the regular season.
I agree that Conley at this point is totally washed and Donovan isn’t a creator, they need a real PG or a player that can create for other more consistent and play good P&R situation with Rudy.
A good PG would allow Gobert to catch many more lobs. Tallest guy on the court and all he gets is 10 points.
This times a million. They need a legitimate PG who can break down the defense and hit the open shot. Their offense was awful finally 4 mins of the game. Brutal to watch.
That last 4 minutes was horrible offense with bad shots except the last one. Dallas did not look that much better.
I hope my bulls trying to get gobert.im big fan of gobert.top 3 center behind joker and jojo for me.over kat
Yoga 100% we need a guy like Gobert. Vucevic/White/18th pick plus Brown for Gobert. That would do it right?
I like it,but i dont know with jazz.jazz need better future.maybe they want pascal siakam.maybe 3 team trade.raptors need to build around scottie barnes.van fleet,gary trent jr,anunoby,barnes,vooch sound good for raptor. Ill throw vooch,coby,brown, blazer pick.i dont think we can give our 1st round pick back to back.
Oh boy, that was funny, right?
I know you were joking, right?
KAT is like light years better than Gobert as a matter of fact!
El don: i meant top 3 best fit center for bulls.not overall stats or skill.bulls dont need offensive center.they need defensive center like gobert or 2 way center like jojo.but for joker,he is very very special center.he will fit for every team in nba
Sorry pal, I get you now, you right CHI does need a defensive center, Gobert would fit greatly with them, hopefully you can get him!
El don : yeah,i hope so.but i dont think jazz need vooch.maybe 3 teams deal with raptors.scotie barnes looks great.maybe raps would build around him