Rudy Gobert is Loyal but His Contract is an Albatross Around Jazz's Neck

The water-cooler debate is alive and well in Utah Jazz country.

Do the Jazz tear it down and build it back up, or run it back one more time?

What we know is that there will be a new head coach steering the ship next year. We’re also fairly certain that Donovan Mitchell will be back.

The million-dollar question is, what are the Jazz going to do with Rudy Gobert? It’s a fair question, and the argument for and against trading Gobert has valid points on both sides.

The case to keep Gobert is pretty black and white. We’re talking about a three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year.

Rudy is the best defensive player in the world. At times this year, the Jazz seemed to be lacking in effort, that’s just never the case with Gobert.

At 30 years old, Rudy's in his prime and takes incredible care of his body. He's a very durable player with no signs that they’ll be a decline anytime soon.

Gobert's best trait may be his loyalty, though. In a day and age where stars are always on the hunt for greener pastures, there’s never been a question of where Gobert wants to be. He has stuck with the Jazz through thick and thin.

So why are the Jazz even contemplating moving Gobert? The answer comes down to the likelihood of the Jazz winning a championship with the highest-paid player on the team being a defensive maven who averages around 15 points per game, most of which are dunks and lobs.

The championship recipe as of late is to pay the wing players and three-point shooters. The last time a center was the highest-paid player on the team and won a championship was when Shaquille O’Neal did it in 2002.

Does a player warrant max money if he can’t even make a jump shot? It’s a fair question.

Gobert hasn’t been able to capitalize on the offensive end when the opposition has gone small. His inability to develop any post game at all has really hurt the Jazz, and moving forward it doesn’t feel like that part of his game will ever develop. The Jazz might better allocate those funds into long wings players that can shoot the three and play defense.

The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors both have centers that don’t give a lot on the offensive side. The difference is that Robert Williams only takes up $3.6 million in cap space while Kevon Looney takes up $5.1 million.

Meanwhile, Gobert has been the highest-paid player on the Jazz since 2017-18, and they’ve only won one playoff series. He's on the books to account for $38 million on the salary cap next year.

These are the questions that Jazz execs Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik are asking themselves right now. Jazz Nation’s emotional attachment to Gobert makes it tough, but the current recipe doesn’t work.

Moving Gobert may feel like a step backwards, but allocating that cap space to wing players might be just what the doctor ordered.

Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnes_patrick.