The Utah Jazz suffered a major setback this offseason as All-Star free agent Gordon Hayward decided to take his talents to Boston.

His departure will have a huge impact on the team next season and with other teams in the west getting stronger around them, the Jazz will have a difficult task getting back into the playoffs next year.

Losing a star in free agency can set a franchise back and force them to go into a rebuilding phase, but Utah is not prepared to do that.

General manager Dennis Lindsey says the team will now focus on developing a defensive-minded team to combat the offensive threats in the Western Conference.

Lindsey insists the organisation still has a star in its ranks with Rudy Gobert and it'll be logical to build around his skillset.

"We feel like we can build defensively around Rudy Gobert," Lindsey told The Salt Lake Tribune. "We look at him, and he's a top-10 player and unique defender. So we [want] to build a team around his talents."

The loss of Hayward has left a huge offensive hole in the team's roster, but they have decided to focus on adding depth with the signings of Thabo Sefolosha, Jonas Jerebko and Ekpe Udoh.

Prior to free agency, Utah also acquired point guard Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"We just felt like we had too much talent to tear it down to the foundation," Lindsey said. "The main thing with Quin and Rudy is, what do we stand for? We feel like we have a great player in Rudy, and we want to showcase his ability."

It appears that Gobert will now become the face of the franchise and take on added responsibility both on and off the floor.

The Frenchman had his best campaign last year and averaged 14 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as the Jazz made it to the second round of the playoffs.

The big man already made his feelings clear on what he thought about Hayward's departure, expressing disappointment at how the news was transmitted.

But the seven-footer now wants to focus on life after the small forward and how they can still be competitive.

"People are going to be surprised by how we do this year," Gobert said. "We just have to keep getting better."

After winning an impressive 51 games last year, that number is likely to drop in the next campaign and the fans in Salt Lake City could be in for a tough season ahead.