Report: Raptors Interested in Trading for Jazz Center Rudy Gobert
With Utah Jazz fans sitting on pins and needles, waiting to see how this 2022 offseason might reshuffle the deck and perhaps reshape the roster, new reports and rumors emerge on almost a daily basis. What will become of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell?
Are the Jazz poised to finally break up the Gobert/Mitchell ticket after years of speculation? And there are also those pesky rumors about head coach Quin Snyder's future in Utah after he's reportedly dragged his heels on agreeing to an extension with the team that would keep him around beyond the 2022-23 season.
Speaking of rumors, on Friday, NBA insider Ian Begley of SNY reported that if the Jazz were to entertain offers for Gobert, the Toronto Raptors are one team to watch.
The Toronto Raptors are among the teams who would have a degree of interest in trading for him if he’s made available, sources say. Would Brooklyn be interested in Gobert? The Nets would need to include Ben Simmons in almost any trade to satisfy salary requirements.
The Raptors finished this past season 48-34, earning the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers bounced Toronto in the first round and now the Raptors are faced with a similar task as the Jazz in figuring out how to break through to the next level.
The 7-foot-1 Gobert will turn 30 this summer and is entering his 10th NBA season. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year and multi-year All-Star, Gobert is reportedly ready to give the Jazz a "him or me" ultimatum with regard to Mitchell.
Both players have dismissed publicly any notion of discord among them, and even Jazz GM Justin Zanik has rebutted rumors. But the pesky rumor mill just keeps cranking out untasty morsels for Jazz fans to chew on.
In a perfect world, the Jazz find a way to keep both Gobert and Mitchell and complement them by filling persisting roster holes. However, it'd be a lot easier to build a championship-caliber roster with the additional assets a trade of either player would yield to Utah.
Only time will tell whether either Gobert or Mitchell gets dealt. For now, it's 'hurry up and wait' as we continue combing the news wire for any credible reports of what'll come next for the Jazz.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.
