Report: All-Star Game Will Impact Jazz Rebuilding Plans
May 11, 2022, 1:37 PM
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell at the NBA All-Star game (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The 2023 NBA All-Star game in Salt Lake City will impact how the Utah Jazz choose to reshape their roster this summer according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer.
The Jazz are set to host All-Star weekend next season, and owner Ryan Smith prefers to have two faces on the floor in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert representing Utah in February of 2023.
“It’s of great importance to Jazz governor Ryan Smith that Utah has multiple players in that midseason classic,” sources said in Fischer’s report.
Why hosting the 2023 All-Star Game is crucial context for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert’s futures in Utah. Which may add Mike Conley into a developing point guard market (hello, Knicks!) already starring Jalen Brunson, Malcolm Brogdon, D’Angelo Russell: https://t.co/U94a1rMiyu
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) May 11, 2022
Both Gobert and Mitchell were selected for their third consecutive All-Star games last season, but have had their names tossed around in trade rumors since the team’s earlier-than-expected exit from the postseason.
Mitchell’s name has long been tied to his hometown New York Knicks, and more recently the Miami Heat. In contrast, Gobert has been mentioned as a potential target for the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors.
“Jazz personnel took great umbrage to Knicks executives William Wesley and Allan Houston and All-Star forward Julius Randle sitting courtside during Utah’s Game 1 road win over the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, sources said,” according to Fischer.
🔜 @NBAAllStar 📍 Salt Lake City, Utah #TakeNote #NBAAllStar #NBA @RyanQualtrics https://t.co/CZCT228Nmq
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 21, 2022
While the Jazz could look to move either Mitchell or Gobert, Smith’s preference to have two players representing the organization during All-Star weekend could push the franchise to look for moves involving the team’s supporting cast.
“League personnel speak far more certainly of the Jazz looking to explore moving complementary pieces such as wings Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale,” according to Fischer. “That could introduce All-Star point guard Mike Conley into an interesting point guard market that seems to be developing this summer.”
Bogdanovic has one year left on his contract with the Jazz, while O’Neale and Conley each have two seasons left in Utah. The second year of Conley’s contract is partially guaranteed.
