The trade speculation surrounding the Utah Jazz All-Star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert has taken a step up since they were eliminated from the 2022 NBA playoffs in round one by the Dallas Mavericks, and if the latest update from the Frenchman is anything to go by, the rumours and speculation aren’t going to stop anytime soon.
We’ve seen this from athletes before, the last notable one being the San Francisco 49ers Deebo Samuel, and while it isn’t always a precursor to a trade request, that is often the most likely outcome, as Gobert has recently scrubbed the Utah Jazz from his Instagram. While there are still a couple of photos of him with a Jazz uniform on, his bio only has reference to his charity website, and after the speculation that Gobert may be the one on the way out, it’s hard not to read too much into it.
Rudy feels that his own numbers are consistent or getting better, while Don is D liability and is falling off in terms of explosiveness. Gobert also aware of at least 1 Western Conference power that would be willing to pay handsomely for his abilities. (NBA teams never tamper..)
— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) May 2, 2022
Sean O’Connell recently reported that at the end of the Jazz season, another disappointingly short playoff run, that the former Defensive Player of the Year felt like it was a “him or me” situation with he and Donovan Mitchell, and given all reports and rumours, it’s more likely Gobert that would be on the move if this breakup does indeed happen soon.
Given how public the slow riff (or reported riff) between Mitchell and Gobert has been, dating back to the 2019 season, it’s safe to assume that they’re both ready to move on from each other, now it is just up to the Jazz to decide which way they will go. This latest news doesn’t confirm or deny that Rudy is on his way out of Salt Lake City, but given the player empowerment growth over the past few years, and the instances of this happening in the past, it’s safe to say that everyone should keep their eyes on Danny Ainge and the Jazz over the coming weeks.