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Could Utah Jazz end Rubio experiment to start Donovan Mitchell at point guard?

By Mitchell Hansen

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 17: Donovan Mitchell
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 17: Donovan Mitchell /
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With the Utah Jazz likely turning to sellers at the NBA trade deadline, could they move Ricky Rubio and start rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell at point guard?

Less than a full year after the Utah Jazz acquired Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves, could they actually look to move their starting point guard before the 2018 NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8?

Well, it’s certainly not out of the question.

With multiple reports pointing to the Jazz looking to become strong sellers prior to the trade deadline — which, by the way, is less than two weeks away — Utah may also be looking to unload the Spanish point guard it spent a first round draft pick to acquire during the offseason.

And maybe one of the biggest reasons behind that? Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell.

Last week, ESPN‘s Zach Lowe wrote a wide-ranging story about many things throughout the NBA, including breaking down the current situation in Salt Lake City.

Within the story, Lowe mentioned the possibility of Rubio being dealt before the trade deadline, adding that “might provide a solution” to what has become a disappointing season in Utah.

The reasoning behind his mention of a Rubio trade is due to the rise of Mitchell. The rookie guard has clearly been Utah’s best player this season, which has resulted in him becoming a primary ball-handler on offense.

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Trading John Collins already is a very bad idea for the Utah Jazz, especially for Kyle Kuzma /

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    • That has forced Rubio to more of an off-the-ball role at guard, one that we saw more of in his final season in Minnesota. In return, it led him to be traded.

    According to Lowe, it’s not for certain that Rubio will get moved, adding that the Jazz are also wary of crushing Rubio’s confidence by moving him to the bench.

    USA TODAY reporter Sam Amick backed up the Rubio speculation last week on a podcast with HoopsHype. Amick said that if Utah were to try and trade Rubio near the deadline, that he would likely have a solid market of teams looking to acquire his services for the remainder of the season.

    Regardless, if the Jazz pull the trigger on a Rubio trade, the fact that numerous people even believe he could be available at the deadline speaks for itself.

    In his first season in Utah, Rubio has struggled in Quin Snyder’s system. Following a win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at Oracle Arena, Rubio is averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and career-lows in assists with 4.8 and steals with 1.6 a game.

    When Rubio is on the court, the Jazz hold a plus/minus of -2.7, which is second-worst on the team behind Joe Johnson. When he’s off the floor, Utah tallies a plus/minus of +1.9, which is the highest plus/minus on the team with a player off the court.

    Mitchell, when on the floor, helps the Jazz to a plus/minus of just -0.5, while Utah maintains a plus/minus of -0.3 when he is off the floor.

    Mitchell is clearly the future in Utah, and the Jazz seem determined and committed to building a team around the talented rookie for the future, with a move to the point guard position quite possibly in the future.

    Next: 2017-18 Week 16 NBA Power Rankings

    As far as how determined and committed they are to move Rubio, that experiment could very well end less than a year after it started.

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