After another premature elimination in the Playoffs, many questions logically surround the future of Jazz, especially in relation to the duo Donovan Mitchell – Rudy Gobert. But while the rumors are piling up, the management of Utah would not necessarily be very keen on the idea of breaking up the current group. We take stock of the latest hallway noises.
On the sidelines of the NBA Playoffs, speculation surrounding the Jazz is pretty much in the news right now. The name of Donovan Mitchell, for example, has been linked to franchises such as the Hawks, the Heat or the Knicks, while that of Rudy Gobert has also been found in certain rumors (Mavericks, Hawks, Raptors, Hornets). It’s often said that there’s no smoke without fire, but that doesn’t mean that a trade from one of the two All-Stars is inevitable. On the contrary, even if we are to believe the information gathered by Jake Fischer from Bleacher Report. According to the insider, there is a major element not to be underestimated in the big file that the Jazz offseason represents: the organization of the All-Star Weekend 2023 in Salt Lake City. The new owner of the franchise Ryan Smith does not only see this event as a big celebration that will take place among the Mormons, he sees this event as a great opportunity to shed light on his new franchise which – we must admit – has rather accustomed to evolving in the shadows. And for that, it’s not enough to welcome the biggest NBA stars for a weekend, you also need to have representatives from the house of Jazz aka Donovan and Rudy (each was a triple All-Star between 2020 and 2022). Here is one of the reasons that could push Utah to keep its duo a little longer. But it is not the only one. always according to Bleacher Report, the Jazz would not be in the mood today to start a reconstruction despite the elimination in the first round of the Playoffs, with the SLC franchise finishing top of the regular just a year ago. The goal is to put the means to mount a real contender. “A lot of people say we have to break up the group, but what for? » had notably declared the consultant ofESPN and former coach Jeff Van Gundy during the series against Dallas. Jazz executives seem to be thinking the same thing right now.
“Most of the speculation regarding a potential separation of the duo Rudy Gobert – Donovan Mitchell would have been generated by actors outside the Jazz franchise. »
–Jake Fischer from Bleacher Report
But this does not mean that the group will remain intact for next year. If the Mitchell – Gobert duo (both under contract until at least 2025) still seems to represent a solid base in the eyes of the ambitious Ryan Smith, other non-starred players may well pack their bags over the summer. For example ? Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale or even Mike Conley if we are to believe Jake Fischer. The veteran point guard particularly suffered in the first round of the Playoffs against Dallas and there is probably a scenario in which Conley has already played his last game for Utah. It will also be necessary to monitor Coach Quin Snyder’s status, who has one year of contract left plus an optional year if he ever wishes to continue an additional season. Snyder having not extended for the moment with the Jazz, one wonders if he does not have desires elsewhere after eight years on the side of Salt Lake City. It’s a little early to say on Quin’s future today and even if the rumors indicate that he should go through with his current deal, we wouldn’t necessarily be surprised to see him leave Utah before a possible breakup of the Mitchell – Gobert tandem.
All that to say that the speculation surrounding the Jazz will not stop tomorrow, although Ryan Smith seems to want to keep his two All-Stars for at least a little longer. There will most likely be change among the Mormons, remains to be seen on which floor.
Source texte : Bleacher Report
