Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder stepped down from his position on Sunday, raising several questions about the direction of the franchise. Those questions center around the future of star guard Donovan Mitchell and star center Rudy Gobert in Salt Lake City.
The two have been the faces of a Jazz team that has been one of the top teams in the Western conference over the past few years, but they’ve faltered in the postseason time and time again. With failure comes frustration, and the two have reportedly had beef both on and off the court. As the Jazz search for a new head coach, there’s a possibility they could blow everything up and deal their two stars.
With Mitchell, there’s been speculation that he’s wanted out of Utah for quite some time and his reaction to Snyder’s resignation may push him towards officially requesting a trade. The long-running speculated landing spot for “Spida” has been the New York Knicks and while one could question if it’d be enough to turn them into a contender, he’d provide the star power that Knicks fans crave. Another potential trade destination for Mitchell is the Miami Heat and the presence of another volume scorer would certainly take some weight off Jimmy Butler’s shoulders in the postseason. It may cost the Heat a beloved shooter like Tyler Herro, but the possibility is there.
As for Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been often criticized for being deliberately hunted by teams in the postseason and a change of scenery could help bolster his rep as one of the league’s premier big men. At the moment, Toronto has reportedly shown interest in trading for Gobert and pairing him with the likes of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes would make for an interesting cast in the Eastern conference. Another potential destination is the very team who knocked the jazz out of the postseason in the Dallas Mavericks. With all of the talk of Luka Doncic needing another superstar to take the next step, a rim protecting defensive giant would certainly be of great help.
