The Utah Jazz have gone from being the NBA’s best overall team a season ago to a squad with a lot of questions heading into the playoffs this year.
The Jazz have struggled to find consistency on their roster this season due to injuries and players being in and out of health regulations, and their offence has been uneven outside of Donovan Mitchell.
Although Utah Jazz still leads the league in offensive rating this season, Mitchell is the team’s sole scorer.
Mike Conley has regressed since the All-Star break, averaging just 12.2 points per game, and while Bojan Bogdanovic has been productive, he has missed Utah’s previous nine games due to a calf ailment.
Jordan Clarkson is another crucial scoring weapon off the bench for this club, but they no longer have Joe Ingles, and the Jazz as a whole don’t have much bench scoring depth outside of Clarkson.
For years, the Jazz have been transforming themselves into something exceptional in order to compete for a Western Conference championship. However, they appear to be trapped for the time being, raising doubts about what they might do in the offseason, especially given they are unlikely to move past the Western Conference Semifinals this season.
All of the issues regarding this team’s future will be answered if they reach the Western Conference Finals and potentially the NBA Finals, but there is currently uncertainty about the futures of All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert with the Jazz.
Both players have long-term contracts with the Jazz, but if the team fails to make the playoffs again, the front office may look into trade options for Rudy Gobert.
With his offensive upside limited and Gobert having won Defensive Player of the Year three times in the last four years, now may be the greatest time for the Jazz to take advantage of his value.
The addition of another offensive weapon to complement Donovan Mitchell might be the difference in this team’s ability to make long playoff runs in the future, which is why Rudy Gobert could be available in trade negotiations.
Nobody expects Rudy Gobert to be traded this offseason, but these three teams should keep an eye on his long-term status and trade possibilities.
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Brooklyn Nets
With James Harden gone, all eyes in Brooklyn are on Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons to see if the new three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons can lead the Nets to a championship.
Ben Simmons, on the other hand, has yet to make his NBA debut due to a back issue that is not improving, putting his availability for the remainder of the 2021-22 season and the playoffs in jeopardy.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have been on the lookout for talent in their frontcourt, particularly at the centre position, since winning their first title in 2019.
This season, Pascal Siakam has split time at centre with Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher, and Khem Birch, creating a lot of worry about the Raptors’ frontcourt’s future.
Executive Masai Ujiri and this front office appear to be interested in pursuing another big man this offseason, and while Christian Wood of the Rockets could be on their radar, so could Rudy Gobert if he becomes available.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards will be open for business and looking for ways to add another star-like talent to their roster this offseason, as they continue to try to build around Bradley Beal.
The rise of Kyle Kuzma this season, as well as Kristaps Porzingis‘s health and performance, is a positive indicator for this organisation, which is why now is the time to make a major move.
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Washington won’t have a lot of cap space to work with this offseason, making it difficult to sign Rudy Gobert’s $38.1 million contract for the 2022-23 season, but they might be able to make it work if they use Kyle Kuzma now.
