Future of the Utah Jazz uncertain after first-round loss against the Mavs

After losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, the Utah Jazz failed early in the playoffs for the third year in a row. Helplessness is spreading in Salt Lake City.

“Things could change. I’m not mentally able to talk about it right now. I just want to win,” Donovan Mitchell said after the Mavs game about the rumors of a possible dissolution of the team. When asked about a potential trade, he replied, “I’ll think about it in a week and then move on, but I’m not really thinking about it right now.”

Mitchell has scored 23 or more points in five of the six games in the first-round series against the Mavericks, but there was little support in Game 6. The 25-year-old still takes responsibility. “We just didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We didn’t play at the level of a champions team. And it starts with me.”

In the last few weeks there have been increasing trade rumors about the superstar. An Eastern Conference scout told Ric Bucher (Fox Sports) in January that “Donovan is one first-round miss away from ending up in New York.”

According to a report by Tony Jones (The Athletic) However, despite the circumstances, Mitchell is happy in Utah and the franchise remains enthusiastic about the idea of ​​building a title contender around him. Gobert is therefore considered a more realistic candidate for a possible trade.

“When I came here nine years ago, my goal was to win a championship here. That hasn’t changed. But a lot of it is not in my hands,” said Rudy Gobert after the playoff. The Frenchman turns 30 in June and has one of the biggest deals at the association, which will see him earn nearly $168m over the next four years.

According to Jones, it is not certain that Utah wants to trade Gobert, but there are said to be some interested parties for the Frenchman.