The Utah Jazz may win the NBA championship this year, but most likely they won’t. And a big reason why so many are betting against them is the dysfunctional composition of the current roster.
Namely, the Jazz’s two best players absolutely hate each other. Donovan Mitchell has discussed this matter at length, as has Rudy Gobert.
As such, a trade is inevitable. Mitchell may be the one who gets moved. At least one team has very real interest in him. But more likely than not, Gobert will be the piece to go.
And currently there are two teams with very legitimate interest in him.
The first is the Toronto Raptors:
A Utah Jazz source laughed at the idea of trading Rudy Gobert to the Dallas Mavericks. “We are not doing that” …I have also confirmed that the Toronto Raptors have made their interest in trading for Rudy Gobert know, should he become available this summer.#TakeNote
— YouTube: The Monty Show —SUBSCRIBE (@TheMontyShow) April 5, 2022
This makes sense. The Raptors almost made a big move for Kristaps Porzingis at the NBA Trade Deadline, before ultimately being scared away by one major red flag. Gobert would obviously be a huge upgrade down low.
But it’s not just the Raptors who have interest in Gobert. The Golden State Warriors are also a team to watch.
“If Rudy Gobert becomes available this summer, I think you’d find a lot of those veterans with the Warriors might want the team to make a run at him,” an NBA exec told hoops insider Sean Deveney.
That too would make a lot of sense. Center has been a longtime problem for Golden State, and James Wiseman’s perilous status doesn’t leave much room for optimism.
No wonder Drake hates the Grizzlies this year. https://t.co/ShUpgfaweQ
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 16, 2022
The Warriors were linked to a pretty big trade with the Indiana Pacers that didn’t come to fruition, so they maintained their trade assets.
Will they turn around and use them on a Gobert trade?
Time will tell.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
