Utah Jazz executive Danny Ainge. Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Jazz considering entering rebuild?

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 7/1/22

Many are skeptical that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert can continue to coexist, which is why there has been talk of the Utah Jazz potentially trading one of the two star players this summer. Perhaps they will not make a choice between the two.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst hinted on “First Take” Friday that the Jazz could be heading for a total rebuild. He said their decision to trade Royce O’Neale, a key player and one of their best defenders, is a sign that they may be in the early stages of blowing up their roster.

Brian Windhorst just ran the First Take desk in circles. They were hanging on his every word for 2+ minutes . Absolute masterclass. pic.twitter.com/Q1vn6mD9iz

— Commissioner Cheah (@StevenCheah) July 1, 2022

Windhorst also cited the fact that Quin Snyder stepped down and the Jazz replaced him with first-year head coach Will Hardy. Danny Ainge is also now an executive in Utah, and Windhorst mentioned how Ainge traded away Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant when he first hired Brad Stevens with the Boston Celtics.

Does all of that mean the writing is on the wall? Mitchell raised some eyebrows with a recent Instagram post, and the trade rumors have been swirling for a while. The Jazz could obviously get a significant haul for either Mitchell or Gobert, but they would end up with a ton of draft capital if they unloaded both.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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