One of the biggest trades so far in the 2022 NBA offseason was the deal that sent Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Wolves struck gold in the deal, gaining a big man who is unanimously known as one of the best defenders in the league.
As for the Jazz, star guard Donovan Mitchell was reportedly somewhat perplexed by the move. According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, the trade left Mitchell asking a pretty fundamental question about the direction of the franchise.
“From what I understand, Donovan was like, ‘Uh, well what’s the plan here? You just traded away two players that were really helpful to us for draft picks essentially.’ And the plan basically is, ‘We’re going to do what’s right for the franchise.'”
There’s been a fair amount of trade chatter surrounding Mitchell himself. Given all the recent moves that seem to indicate that the Jazz could be looking to rebuild, that fact shouldn’t come as much of a shock.
Still, trading away the face of the franchise is hard for any team to execute. Mitchell is certainly that in Utah, and it will be interesting to see if he remains on the roster much longer.
There are numerous teams that would love to trade for the talented guard, but the Jazz would certainly ask for a massive haul in any potential deal. It’s unclear if there is a team willing or able to give the Jazz what they want in exchange for Mitchell.
Though a lot of trades have already taken place this offseason, there is still loads of time for more trades to occur. Fans will have to wait to see if Mitchell ends up in one of those trades in the coming weeks and months.
