You can start by choosing him if this isn’t fixable between the two and showing you back him. I don’t know yet honestly. I don’t know. Like none of us are flawless man. He’s allowed to have a bad moment. He’s had 3 years of great ones. Also. Regardless. You realize his contract will extend him through 5 seasons, not end until 2026. He will be turning 30 that year. He will have played 9 seasons here by then. 6 more years of Donovan and most of his prime, is something you take no questions ask and worry about 2025 or 2026 when it gets here and hope he’s Dame. He’ll be 30 then and a grown man probably with a family. If the reason you’re choosing Rudy is because you’re afraid of losing Donovan in 6 years that’s a very bad reason. Donovan is probably the 3rd most valuable player the franchise has ever had. I don’t think it’s a guarantee he’s gone, I don’t think it’s a guarantee he stays either obviously.
Listen, I think what we’re all a little worried about is yes a Hayward similar situation. I think we’d all actually like to see the dude be who he seems to be, have his number retired, get a statue, and be worshipped here forever, and it would be nice to get a title or at least have a realistic shot at one during that journey. We want Donovan to be Dame. I would like that with Rudy too, but I’m not with giving Rudy the super-max at all. If he two of them Donovan is the more valuable guy to the franchise and the city quite honestly.
Saying Donovan’s fake is probably an over-reaction to this. He’s having a personal relationship issue with a co-worker. We’ve all been upset with someone before only we didn’t have to have it near this publicly hashed out. He should have handled this better no doubt. But here’s what’s real. A month ago Donovan was at high school basketball games girls and boys and talked to a few of the players as well. Like it’s a moment they’ll have their entire lives. He just helped financially back feeding the entire Granite School Districts kids while they can’t go to school. He drove to Logan a year ago to go to an Aggie football game. Some of it’s PR, but a lot of it is a really positive difference. Like his commitment will have to be very very deep to keep him here. A commitment very very few players have. We’ll see. I’ll take Donovan in our community 6 more years and watching him play basketball through the age 23-30 without any hesitation. Hopefully he’ll stay beyond that but yeah it’s gonna be hard to keep him and it’s going to take a conscious commitment from him like Dame has with Portland that never lets the idea of leaving creep into his mind like Dame for him to stay.
