I get that the NBA is generally moving to switchability, and I'm all about small ball, but Snyder runs a drop coverage defensive scheme anyway, and Gobert is the best rim-protecting true big man in the NBA. If you're not switching to a more switchable scheme, then Gobert is your guy. Period. Like, I'm not sure there's a debate there. He's made three or four All-NBA teams, the last four All-Defense first teams, and two DPOYs.

And yeah, he had a *relatively* down year last year... and still made first team All-Defense, lol. I don't blame Utah's defensive troubles on Gobert. The Jazz went from starting Rubio and Favors, two net positive defenders, to Conley and Bogdanovic, two net negative defenders. Of course Gobert's numbers are going to slip with that change.

If he is asking for the supermax-- that report has already been denied-- then I get it. He's 28, he's in a scheme that fits him, and he's never gonna get a chance for a deal like that again. This will be his last great contract-- and probably the last great contract a traditional big gets for a long time.

I ultimately think he'll settle for a max, and I think Utah should offer it. They do not have the pieces to play coherent defense without Gobert on board-- and if he left, I think we'd see just how rough many of their perimeter defensive options outside of Mitchell are.

Plus, they're fucking UTAH. How many All-Stars come to Utah in free agency willingly? Like, people who like LA or Boston or whatever may think "fuck it, let him walk, don't spend the money on this guy"... but Utah just doesn't get multiple All-NBA type talents very often. You can't really afford to let guys like that go and remain relevant. And with increasingly few teams running drop coverage, I don't know who'd trade for him.