Report: Rudy Gobert at 'Him or Me' Point with Jazz Star Donovan Mitchell
Not even a week into the offseason for the Utah Jazz, and if reports are true, center Rudy Gobert is already at an impasse regarding the volatile situation with his fellow All-Star teammate Donovan Mitchell.
Sean O'Connell of SiriusXM tweeted Monday morning that a source close to the situation informed him that Gobert will demand that one of them be traded in the next few days.
"I know I am not usually Utah Jazz breaking news guy, but a source close to situation has informed me that Rudy Gobert is at 'him or me' point with Donovan Mitchell and will demand that one of them be traded in next few days. Doesn't feel they will win championship together," O'Connell tweeted.
O'Connell goes on to tweet that Gobert doesn't feel like they can win a championship together, that Rudy's numbers have been consistent or getting better while Donovan's defense is a "liability."
Again, these are sources and not coming directly from Gobert, so they should be taken with a grain of salt. But for those reading between the lines over the last few months, there have been many signs of cracks in the duo's relationship.
Gobert has come right out in the media and questioned teammates' defensive intensity after close losses this season, which reportedly didn't sit well with Mitchell, who has publicly denied any animosity between the two but has "liked" social media posts that would say otherwise.
It seems to be a situation that will come to a head at some point with the Jazz again not living up to expectations after being eliminated from the first round of the NBA Playoffs last week by the Dallas Mavericks.
The problem for the Jazz, and Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge, is that both Gobert and Mitchell are both locked into very expensive, long-term contracts, so moving either one of them is not going to be easy.
What Ainge and the Jazz do from here is anyone's guess, but it's looking more and more like Gobert and Mitchell working together might be a thing of the past.
UPDATE
Gobert fired off a Tweet on Monday in what can only be interpreted as a response to O'Connell's report.
