Rumors have started to circulate around the Utah Jazz that there is a worsening relationship between franchise cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The issue between the players started when Mitchell reportedly became upset by Gobert’s careless behavior the day before he tested positive for coronavirus. The ongoing dispute between the two made many people believe the Jazz would be forced to trade one of them in the 2020 NBA offseason.
However, since that report surfaced, the Jazz have been doing everything they can to fix the issue between two of their best players. In a recent Zoom interview with the media on Tuesday, Jazz Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsey gave an update regarding Mitchell and Gobert’s relationship.
“They’re ready to put this behind them, move forward, act professionally,” Lindsey said, as quoted by Tim MacMahon of ESPN . “Look, the COVID-19 night of March [11] was really unprecedented. It brought a microscope to our team, and we get it. With that said, we’re very pleased with the collective makeup of our group, Donovan and Rudy in particular. We look forward to moving forward. They’ve said their piece to each other. They’ve both visited at the ownership level, at management level, at the coaches level, at the players level with each other.”
Despite what happened between them in the past months, Lindsey revealed Mitchell and Gobert still have the same goal in mind, which is to make the Jazz the “last team left standing in the NBA.” Though they aren’t one of the top favorites to win the NBA championship title, the Jazz are considered a legitimate threat in the deep Western Conference this season. Before the NBA suspension due to the spread of coronavirus, the Jazz were establishing an impressive performance on both ends of the floor, sitting at the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference with a 41-23 record.
It might have taken a month before Gobert spoke with Mitchell, but he downplayed the issue existing between them. Gobert said that — like other players — his relationship with Mitchell isn’t perfect. At the end of the day, however, they both want the same thing — to win.
For his part, Mitchell still hasn’t publicly addressed the dispute with his co-star. His only comment on the situation came in mid-March.
“It took a while for me to cool off,” he said.
As long as Mitchell is not addressing the issue, rumors will likely continue to swirl around him, Gobert, and their future with the Jazz.