Rudy Gobert is one of the best centers in the league, providing elite rim protection and play-finishing ability. At the same time, it is fair to say that he is not a superstar, but paid like one, as he is on a supermax contract currently.
It was recently revealed by Tony Jones of The Athletic that the Utah Jazz saw “Gobert’s supermax contract as a hindrance” to the team building, adding that Danny Ainge thought that Gobert needed to be moved because “the current core reached its peak”.
At the same time, the sources say, the Jazz saw Gobert’s supermax contract as a hindrance. Utah’s current core reached its peak as a second-round playoff team, and Ainge thought it needed to move Gobert to break free from that. Other teams were interested, and other packages were available. Once Minnesota’s offer swelled to four firsts, a pick swap, plus Kessler, whom the Timberwolves drafted at No. 22 in the first round of the 2022 draft, the Jazz believed it was time to move, McDaniels or no McDaniels.
The Jazz, league sources say, are not amenable to trading Mitchell. They want to build around their star, and they want to do so on the fly. The obvious caveat: If Ainge and Zanik receive an offer from a team that approaches the scale of the Gobert trade, it will be hard to not listen. But, for now, the plan is for Mitchell to be with the Jazz heading into next season.
There is no doubt that some change was needed for the Utah Jazz. They got a massive amount of draft capital from the Rudy Gobert trade, and perhaps that could be used in trades to build around Donovan Mitchell, or in a rebuild.
It remains to be seen if the Utah Jazz do in fact trade Donovan Mitchell. It is mentioned that their plan is “for Mitchell to be with the Jazz” for next season, but Mitchell has also been linked with teams such as the Miami Heat recently. Hopefully, the front office figures out a way to get Mitchell to a contending team, while also getting a huge haul of assets in return.
