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Rudy Gobert Trade Rumors: Center Committed to Jazz; 'Multiple Teams' Seeking Deal
April 29, 2022
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert is reportedly expected to generate interest from "multiple teams" if the front office decides to trade the three-time All-Star during the offseason.
Tony Jones of The Athletic reported Friday that Gobert remains "all-in" on the Jazz despite their playoff elimination at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, but the organization may look to move him to reconstruct the roster around guard Donovan Mitchell.
Utah has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past six seasons and won 294 regular-season games over that span, which ranks third in the NBA behind only the Milwaukee Bucks (299) and Toronto Raptors (296).
The Jazz have not emerged as a championship contender, though. They've failed to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs, and Thursday's loss to the Mavs marked the third time in the past four years their season ended in the opening round.
That lack of postseason success suggests some major changes could be on the horizon.
Gobert and Mitchell are the two players with enough trade value to serve as the key piece of a blockbuster deal that could reshape the team's core.
Jones reported the Jazz "want to keep" Mitchell as of now, which would leave trading the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year as the top option.
Gobert averaged 15.6 points, 14.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks while shooting 71.3 percent from the field across 66 appearances in 2021-22. He also remained the league's premier defender, ranking first in FiveThirtyEight's defensive RAPTOR metric.
Yet, ahead of an offseason sure to feature plenty of rumors, the 29-year-old post player wasn't ready to take a deep dive into what may happen next after the team's season-ending loss.
"No matter what, I'm always going to do my best to be the best Rudy I can be on and off the floor and to win," Gobert told reporters. "The rest is out of my control."
Gobert has found a way to remain highly productive in an era that's moved away from traditional centers in favor of players who can stretch the floor, but the jury remains out about whether that can translate into him being a cornerstone on a title-winning team.
A lot can change over the next five months, but it sounds like Gobert may have to continue that championship chase with a new organization.