NBA Rumors: Mitchell Could Be Part Of Change, Just Not Now

The Utah Jazz are changing it up and it seems clear that they are rebuilding around three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

The 25-year-old remains a key component for the Jazz who appear to be sticking to the 6-foot-1 guard and surrounding him with key people.

With Rudy Gobert no longer around, and sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a plethora of players, it will be interesting how the Jazz will fare starting this coming NBA season.

It is no secret that Mitchell and Gobert had their differences but their combination was good enough to make the Jazz competitive. Unfortunately, the formula falls short of making the NBA Finals and it will be interesting if the recent decision to break up the duo will be the right one.

No less than Jazz general manager Justin Zanik himself said that change was inevitable. He points to Mitchell as a key piece and made it clear that no trade is happening, at least for now.

“Donovan is on our roster and he’s a very, very important part of what we’re trying to do. Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is [untouchable]. We’re trying to build a championship team. But there’s no intent there [to trade him],” Zanik said in a report from the Salt Lake Tribune.

It will be a challenge for Mitchell to try and lead the Jazz without Gobert. There is no telling if the change will be good for the franchise, especially with their middle possibly now missing a huge void.

Last season, Mitchell averaged 25.9 points, 5.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 67 regular-season games. In six NBA playoff games, he normed 25.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

While he has shown the ability to play an all-around game, it will be interesting if the 25-year-old can take it to another level. If he fails to do so, there is a chance that the Jazz could flip the script once more and possibly look to explore other options – including a possible trade if things don’t pan out.