The Jazz have run into a problem. The Rudy Gobert–Donovan Mitchell rift is real, and while Gobert has voiced his commitment to fixing it and to winning a championship in Utah, such overtures are often superficial. There is a non-zero chance the Jazz end up trading one this offseason, and Gobert is the most likely casualty given Mitchell’s youth and marketability. Not to mention, it was Gobert who started the locker room fracture in the first place.
In the event Gobert is on or near the chopping block, the Jazz could look for a replacement at center. If not, it wouldn’t hurt Utah to add depth anyway. Isaiah Stewart is higher than this on most boards, and he makes a great deal of sense for Utah’s slower, grind-it-out style.
Stewart is a hulking 7-footer. He does have some traditional big man tendencies modern front offices tend to frown upon, but he’s a physical interior presence who has no problem scoring at the rim. He has also flashed promise as a shooter, and his rim protection skills are well documented. Odds are he won’t fall much further than this.