Rudy Gobert Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Gobert, Jazz, Edwards, Wolves, Williamson

February 27th, 2022 at 10:01pm CST by JD Shaw

Jazz center Rudy Gobert continues to dominate this season despite facing criticism, as relayed by NBA.com. Gobert, one of the league’s top rim-protectors, is averaging 15.6 points and 14.8 rebounds per game on a career-best 72% shooting.

“I’m just gonna keep trying to be the best Rudy I can be, on and off the court. … And for my team,” Gobert said. “The more these people try to discredit what I do or what my team does, it just means we’re doing something right.”

Gobert is also averaging 2.3 blocks per game, making it eighth straight seasons of averaging over two blocks. His impressive two-way play is a key reason why Utah ranks fourth in the West at 38-22.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

The Jazz are bouncing back after dealing with a difficult January, as relayed in a separate NBA.com story. Utah is 8-1 this month, which includes a 118-114 road victory over the Suns on Sunday. The team owns the sixth-best record in the league.
The Timberwolves have to find a way to improve their offense, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. One of the team’s recent problems has been Anthony Edwards, who’s currently in a slump. Minnesota has scored 102, 119 and 91 points in its last three games. “We’ve kind of regressed with that first unit, and we just have to get back to playing through our early concepts,” head coach Chris Finch said. “That’s what we’ve gone away from.”
Christian Clark, Scott Kushner and Rod Walker of NOLA.com debate whether Pelicans star Zion Williamson will play another game with the organization. Williamson hasn’t played this season (foot surgery rehab) and remains away from the team. He could undergo a second procedure at some point, as we previously relayed.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Finch, Wolves, Masks, Simons, Watford

February 24th, 2022 at 3:04pm CST by Rory Maher

Rudy Gobert still believes in Utah’s title chances this season, even if most of the league has counted the Jazz out, as Sarah Todd of the Deseret News relays.

“It’s about embracing the wins and the losses, and I believe in our group,” Gobert said. “I really believe that we can accomplish our goal. … Everything that we’ve been through only helped us grow and have prepared us even for that moment when it comes. I’m excited for the second part of the season and I know that we’re going to be ready to make a push.”

Todd points out that the Jazz have struggled against top-tier teams this season, blowing multiple big leads, and if they truly want to compete for a championship, they can’t afford those types of mental lapses.

“We’ve got to learn quickly,” coach Quin Snyder said. “Start developing the ability to push the lead as opposed to essentially giving it back.”

The Jazz don’t have the luxury of an “on-off” switch, they need to be “on” all the time in order to prepare for a postseason push, and Todd believes that level of consistency has been lacking this season.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic recently wrote a story about coach Chris Finch‘s eventful first year with the Timberwolves. “He is very direct when he talks to us, to the players,” offensive coordinator Pablo Prigioni said. “He’s honest. He don’t tell the guys what they want to hear, he tells them the truth. He’s not a big talker. But when he talks, he goes to the point. I think the players appreciate that.” After taking over mid-season in 2020/21, Finch has helped lead the Wolves to a 31-28 record this season, seventh in the West.
The city of Minneapolis lifted its mask mandate Thursday morning, and the Timberwolves have followed suit. Fans will no longer be required to wear masks inside Target Center arena, the team announced.
Trail Blazers rising star Anfernee Simons discussed his situation in Portland with Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link). Simons says the Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year Awards were both goals for him entering this season. “At first, I didn’t know if I was gonna get Most Improved because I wasn’t playing as much, that’s why I keyed in on Sixth Man, but now I’m starting to get a lot of minutes so that’s why I’m keying in on Most Improved. It’s been great how everything’s been working out,” Simons said.
Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) provides details on Trendon Watford‘s new standard contract with the Trail Blazers. Watford was promoted from a two-way deal. Portland used part of its remaining mid-level exception to sign Watford to a four-year deal. He’ll earn $436,482 for the remainder of this season and a guaranteed $1,563,518 next season. The final two seasons, in 2023/24 and ’24/25, are both non-guaranteed, with the Blazers holding a club option in the last season.

Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Gobert, 2023 ASG, Hernangomez

February 21st, 2022 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have made the playoffs in each of the four years since Donovan Mitchell entered the NBA and are on track to do so again in 2022. However, Mitchell has yet to make it beyond the second round of the postseason and is feeling more urgency to make a deeper run this spring, as he tells Tony Jones of The Athletic.

“I think I’m really at a point now where we’ve made the second round, and we want more,” Mitchell said. “We crave it. I watched Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp in the Super Bowl; they just found ways to win. So, for me, that’s the biggest thing. The ultimate goal is for us to be the last team standing. That’s the sign of the ultimate winner.”

In addition to voicing his desire for the Jazz to “take another leap,” Mitchell once again brushed off the notion that there’s any tension between him and teammate Rudy Gobert, echoing comments he made to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports earlier this month.

“I’m at a point now where it’s the NBA, this is what it is,” Mitchell told Jones. “People are going to write things. If I have to respond every five minutes to a story, then I’m taking away from my teammates, and I’m taking away from my happiness. I love this team, and we want to find a way to win as a group. I’m focused on my team. As long as my teammates and my coaches know my intentions, then that’s what it is. But I’m not going to allow articles to deter me from my main goal. I love this group. So, let’s find a way to do it.”

Here’s more on the Jazz:

Rudy Gobert, who watched 19-year veteran LeBron James hit the game-winning shot against his team in Sunday’s All-Star Game, said he’d love to be able to replicate LeBron’s longevity, as Sarah Todd of The Deseret News writes. “I’m taking great care of myself, just to trying to see how far I can go,” said Gobert, who is in his ninth season. “Whenever I feel like I either can’t play anymore or I lose that competitive edge, then I’ll probably stop it, but for sure I would love to play for 19 years.”
In the wake of 2022 All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune looks ahead to the 2023 event, which will be hosted by the Jazz, and considers what it will mean for the Salt Lake City market. It’s the first time the All-Star Game will be played in Utah since 1993.
Juan Hernangomez, acquired by the Jazz at the trade deadline, is under contract through 2022/23, but his salary for next season is non-guaranteed, so he’ll likely become a free agent this summer, if not sooner. As Antigoni Zachari of Eurohoops relays, Hernangomez would like to finish this season in the NBA and could remain stateside beyond that, but he’s also expected to draw significant interest from teams in Spain, including Barcelona, according to international reports. Hernangomez played in his home country for Estudiantes for two seasons from 2014-16 before entering the NBA.

Jazz Notes: Gobert, Mitchell, Clarkson, Vivint Arena

February 15th, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following his return to the Jazz from a left calf strain, All-Star center Rudy Gobert suggested that the mood around the team seems improved, according to Jazz.com. Prior to Utah’s dominant 135-101 Rockets win on Monday, Gobert had missed the team’s previous nine games.

“Our energy is different,” Gobert said. “I feel like something happened within our team. … That slump really sparked something. I feel like we’re a team that’s trying to accomplish something.”

The Jazz have won six straight games since losing 11 of 13 in January, and appear to be focused collectively on improving their hustle and defensive intensity. Their offensive efficiency has also improved of late.

There’s more out of Utah:

Jazz All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell discussed his relationship with Gobert in a wide-ranging conversation with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports in Haynes’ podcast Posted Up With Chris Haynes. “First of all, we’re good. I just want to go on record with saying that,” Mitchell told Haynes. “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.’”
In his conversation with Haynes, Mitchell also addressed speculation that he might not want to stay in Utah long-term, dismissing that idea. “I think I’ve reached a point where you’re happy with yourself, first off,” Mitchell said. “… But as far as myself with the franchise, I see the articles, but I really address it with my teammates. I’ve seen it. I’m not too stressed about it. I’m not thinking about it. … There’s going to be talk whether I say something, whether I don’t say something because that’s how I’ve always been. I’ve always been someone that’s like, ‘OK, they’re saying stuff. Let’s go ahead and lock in.’ I haven’t really thought too much about it. I’m happy right now and just continuing to find ways to win.”
Jazz reserve guard Jordan Clarkson, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has now entered all-time territory with a recent achievement. Upon nailing his 439th three-pointer during Utah’s lopsided victory over the Rockets, Clarkson has the 10th-most made triples in the team’s history, per Jazz.com. “I feel like I’ve been saying it for a long time, but his care factor, his will, and he’s got a lot of pride, he wants to win,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “He can really score but he wants to win more than he wants to score.”
The Jazz’s home court, Vivint Arena, is scheduled to roll back most of its coronavirus precautions for Jazz games on February 25, according to Joe Coles of The Deseret News. Vivint Arena currently requires all attendees to either display proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours of tipoff. Masks will still be a requirement for certain areas close to the court. 3,128 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the state yesterday, per The New York Times.

Western Notes: Thunder, Jazz, Kings, Iguodala, Finney-Smith

February 14th, 2022 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After mostly sitting out last week’s trade deadline – with the exception of a very minor deal involving KZ Okpala – the Thunder are still about $23MM below the $101.2MM salary cap floor for 2021/22, John Hollinger writes for The Athletic.

As Hollinger explains, the Thunder’s situation is a “very hot topic in the agent world,” since teams are required to either spend to the salary floor or pay the difference to their players. Assuming Oklahoma City doesn’t try to get to the floor by signing free agents to deals that include oversized first-year salaries, the team could end up paying about $1.5MM to each of its own players at season’s end.

Hollinger believes this latter scenario is more likely than the Thunder spending big on free agents in the next couple months. Recent European imports who have received big late-season free agent contracts, such as Gabriel Deck and Luca Vildoza, haven’t exactly worked out, and it’s not OKC will feel the need to be a major player on the buyout market.

More importantly, even if the team is required to pay its own players at the end of the season to reach the salary floor, those payments won’t count toward the cap. In other words, the Thunder could still take upwards of $31MM in cap room into draft night, giving them the ability to make trades in June that other clubs wouldn’t be able to accommodate.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Howard Beck of SI.com is the latest reporter to suggest that the alleged tension between Jazz teammates Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell hasn’t exactly dissipated. “I think they’re in trouble, because this thing has run its course and we know there are some tensions that are in that locker room,” Beck said on The Crossover NBA Show podcast with Chris Mannix (hat tip to HoopsHype). “And I’ve been told recently that they might be a little worse than we’ve even been led to believe. And so if this doesn’t end well this postseason, and there’s no reason to think that it will… those ‘Donovan Mitchell wants out’ rumors are going to be starting, like, as soon as the season is over.”
General manager Monte McNair felt that the players the Kings acquired at the deadline – including Domantas Sabonis, Donte DiVincenzo, and Justin Holiday – are good fits both on and off the court. “We want competitors, toughness,” McNair said over the weekend, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. “We need to improve our rebounding and defense. And I think all these guys that we’ve brought are not just great players, good talents, all that type of stuff, but guys that are going to fit into that type of culture we’re trying to build here.”
Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala, who has played just once since January 20, went through the team’s shootaround today, but will remain sidelined until after the All-Star break, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Iguodala is dealing with lower back tightness.
Dorian Finney-Smith‘s new four-year extension with the Mavericks is worth the maximum amount he was eligible for ($55,560,960) and includes a trade kicker of 5%, Hoops Rumors has learned.

LeBron Chooses Giannis, Curry In All-Star Draft; Durant Picks Embiid, Morant

February 10th, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After James Harden was traded away from the Nets on Thursday, former teammate Kevin Durant opted not to pick him in the All-Star draft conducted on Thursday night. Harden was the last player chosen by LeBron James for Team LeBron, as the league announced (via Twitter).

LeBron’s starters, besides himself, are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Jokic.

Durant, who won’t play in the All-Star Game at Cleveland due to his knee injury, chose Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young and Andrew Wiggins as Team Durant’s starters.

James selected Luka Doncic as his top reserve. His guard-heavy team also features Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet and Harden.

Team Durant’s bench includes Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball and Rudy Gobert.

Thus, numerous teammates will be on opposing clubs for the All-Star game, including the Jazz’s Gobert and Mitchell and the Suns’ Paul and Booker.

The game will be played February 20 in Cleveland.

Windhorst/MacMahon’s Latest: Jazz, Pelicans, Fox, Mavs, Grizzlies

February 4th, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The relationship between Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell is back to being “passively aggressively awkward,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon stated in the latest episode of Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast. Windhorst said he has heard the same thing, suggesting Gobert and Mitchell have gotten “under each other’s skin” and referring to it as “the most underplayed story in the league.”

Asked today about the report, Mitchell dismissed it, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News: “No, no, no, no. We’re good. That’s not true. … I’m getting tired of answering (these questions) to be honest. Look, we put in the work, we’re leaders for our team, and we’re going through a tough stretch and that happens. But this is part of the business and that’s just how it goes.”

Rumors of tension between Gobert and Mitchell were at their height back in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We haven’t heard as much about the relationship since then — MacMahon says that when the Jazz have everyone healthy and are playing well, the issue “falls in the manageable category.”

Here are a few more highlights from Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast:

As the trade deadline nears, the Pelicans have been “pretty active looking to buy,” according to Windhorst, who reports that New Orleans has talked to the Trail Blazers, Kings, Rockets, and Hawks about CJ McCollum, De’Aaron Fox, Eric Gordon, and Kevin Huerter, respectively. Windhorst adds that Josh Hart is believed to be among the players the Pelicans would move.
Following up on Fox, Windhorst confirms that the Knicks have shown interest in the Kings‘ point guard and says that people around the league don’t really believe Sacramento is fully out of the Ben Simmons sweepstakes.
Windhorst and MacMahon have both heard whispers that the Mavericks are talking to the Celtics about Marcus Smart, though MacMahon admitted he’s not sure whether those discussions have taken place as of late. “I can say with certainty that they’ve shown interest in Marcus Smart in the past,” MacMahon said. “I don’t know how much of that has been recent.”
After stating earlier in the week that the Mavericks likely won’t move Jalen Brunson unless they get blown away by an offer, MacMahon repeated that point and applied it to Dorian Finney-Smith as well. MacMahon added that Brunson’s preference in free agency would be to stay in Dallas, but after earning a total of $6.1MM in his first four NBA seasons, the point guard’s top priority will be getting paid — he won’t be interested in taking a home-team discount.
Windhorst, MacMahon, and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps all agreed – based on what they’ve heard – that the Grizzlies are unlikely to do anything significant at the trade deadline unless they get an opportunity that’s a “grand slam home run.”

Injury Updates: Mitchell, Gobert, Green, Iguodala, Anthony, James, Birch

February 3rd, 2022 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were named as All-Star reserves on Thursday. The Jazz also got positive injury news regarding their top players.

Mitchell has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and will be available for the team’s game against the Nets on Friday, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Mitchell hasn’t played since January 17. Gobert won’t play on Friday but could return early next week, MacMahon adds. The big man is dealing with a calf strain and hasn’t seen action since January 23rd.

We have more injury-related news:

Warriors forward Draymond Green is skipping the All-Star Game due to a back injury. Green said on Thursday he won’t need surgery but estimates it will be at least three-to-four weeks before he can play again, Marc Stein tweets.
Another Warriors forward, Andre Iguodala, says he’s close to returning from a left hip injury, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Iguodala hasn’t played since logging 31 minutes on January 20. Iguodala indicated that persistent knee swelling created a “chain reaction” that has led to other ailments.
Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony exited the team’s game against the Clippers on Thursday due to a right hamstring strain, McMenamin tweets. LeBron James missed his fifth straight game due to swelling in his left knee, McMenamin adds in another tweet.
Raptors big man Khem Birch played on Thursday for the first time since January 14. He only saw five minutes of action. Birch required plastic surgery after his nose was fractured. He’ll have to wear a mask for approximately six weeks, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets.

Booker, Paul Head List Of Western Conference All-Star Reserves

February 3rd, 2022 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul were among seven players named to the Western Conference All-Star reserve pool, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

The Jazz duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert also made the list, along with the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, the Warriors’ Draymond Green and the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic.

Green announced he will not play in the All-Star game due to back and calf injuries, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. NBA commissioner Adam Silver will select his replacement.

The Western Conference starter pool was announced last week.

Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins was chosen along with Lakers forward LeBron James and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic among Western Conference frontcourt candidates. The Grizzlies’ Ja Morant joined the Warriors’ Stephen Curry as the backcourt duo in the starter pool.

Jazz Notes: House, Mitchell, Gobert, Barnes

January 27th, 2022 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Danuel House is playing on his second 10-day contract with Utah (the first was via a hardship exception, the current one is a standard deal, which expires Friday), and Sarah Todd of The Deseret News makes the case for the Jazz to keep him around. If they want to prioritize roster flexibility, the Jazz could opt to re-sign House to a second standard 10-day contract which would expire just ahead of the February 10 trade deadline.

Utah has two open roster spots and needs high-energy wing defenders, which House has provided thus far, according to Todd. House says playing for the Jazz has been a great experience.

“They welcomed me with open arms, accepted me, no one has ever turned me down, they always ask me if I need anything, they always make me comfortable,” House said. “So especially being a guy that has been accustomed to a certain way for years, and then you come over here and to be welcomed — it makes you really enjoy the process and everything.”

Through six games in a limited role with Utah (19.8 MPG), House is averaging a modest 6.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG. However, Todd writes that House’s impact goes beyond the standard stat sheet, creating deflections, hustling after loose balls and contesting shots. Coach Quin Synder likes what he’s seen from House.

“Just intensity and competitiveness,” Snyder said of House after the Jazz’s 115-109 loss to the Suns on Monday night. “I think playing hard is as much a skill as anything else and you saw a guy who’s hungry and played hard.”

Todd thinks it’s an easy decision for Utah to give House another 10-day contract and believes the Jazz should seriously consider signing him for the remainder of the season after that.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

Two-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell might return to action this weekend, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune relays. Mitchell has been in the NBA’s concussion protocol after receiving an inadvertent elbow from Russell Westbrook on Jan. 17. He could suit up as soon as Friday at Memphis.
Within the same column, Walden says that Rudy Gobert‘s calf strain is still causing him problems. His recovery timeline remains murky, with Walden stating that Gobert could be sidelined for “several more games at the very least,” but that isn’t set in stone. The Jazz plan to be conservative with the injury, as calf strains can be tricky to recover from. He will be listed as day-to-day for the time being.
Count Kings forward Harrison Barnes among the players Utah has shown interest in, per Sam Amick of The Athletic (hat tip to HoopsHype).