The Jazz don’t even need to rebuild
It’s true that the Jazz traded away their only other All-Star (Gobert) and a quality starter (O’Neale), but they do not need to embrace the losing way and totally rebuild. Leave that to the Thunder, Pistons, Rockets, and Magic. For now, the Jazz can realistically field a competitive team.
Earlier this week, we looked at how the Jazz could create an instant title favorite. Even if that road is unrealistic, the Jazz could flip their future picks for current pieces. They need some help at the center position, and Jakob Poeltl and Myles Turner are quality players on the trade block, and for a single pick, the Jazz could get either one of those guys from a floundering Pacers or Spurs team.
After the moves the Jazz have made, fans seem to think a rebuild is the only route the Jazz can take. That’s simply not true. The Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, and Suns are watching their championship window close, and the Timberwolves are all in now without a plan for the short-term future. The only two teams on the rise in the West are the Nuggets and Grizzlies. If the Jazz remain on the course they’ve been on, eventually, they’ll break through. Adding the perfect complimentary player to Mitchell would make the door wide open.
What do you think? Are the Jazz destined to rebuild, or should they keep Mitchell and see what happens? There are the doomsday fans who think Mitchell will demand a trade or walk in free agency (four years away), but if the Jazz can field a competitive team, why would he want to leave?