NBA Rumors: Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell Relationship In Trouble, Utah Jazz Face Uncertain Future

The 2019-2020 NBA season was suspended on March 11 when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell became the league’s second player diagnosed with the disease a few hours later.

It’s unknown if the current season will resume or be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA is discussing various ways to potentially hold the playoffs and crown a champion this summer.

Whenever basketball returns, the Jazz could face an issue regarding their two best players.

It’s unknown whether Gobert infected Mitchell or vice versa. What is clear is that the relationship between Utah’s stars has been greatly affected by what happened a month ago.

Two days before Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, he mocked the NBA’s new policy to keep the media six feet away from players by touching the microphones of reporters at the end of a press conference. Shortly after Mitchell tested positive, ESPN’s Adrain Wojnarowski reported that Jazz players noted Gobert had a “cavalier attitude toward the virus,” touching teammates and their possessions.

A new report suggests that Mitchell still hasn’t forgiven Gobert for his behavior. A source told The Athletic that the relationship between the two players “doesn’t appear salvageable.”

That’s obviously a major issue for Utah, which had championship aspirations in the offseason and up until the season was indefinitely suspended. The Jazz have a 41-23 record, making them the No.4 seed in the Western Conference. Utah is 1.5 games behind the No.3 seed Denver Nuggets and three games behind the No.2 seed Los Angeles Clippers.

The Jazz traded for point guard Mike Conley in June and signed forward Bojan Bogdanovic. Adding them to a roster that included Gobert and Mitchell put Utah among the best teams in the league.

Gobert has won the last two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. He became an All-Star for the first time this season. Gobert is averaging 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He’s third in boards, sixth in blocks and second in field goal percentage (69.8%).

Mitchell was also selected for the 2020 All-Star team. He leads the Jazz with 24.2 points and 1.0 steals per game. Mitchell is averaging career-highs with 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 45.3% shooting from the field.

Gobert can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2020-2021 season, during which he’s scheduled to make a $25.77 million base salary. Mitchell can potentially become a restricted free agent after next season, though he’s expected to sign a max contract extension before that happens.