NBA Trade Rumors: Listing 5 possible destinations for Rudy Gobert in offseason
Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz could be heading into an inevitable breakup this offseason. The Jazz were recently eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks from the NBA playoffs. They have made the postseason for six straight years but have not made made it past the conference semifinals.
With Danny Ainge at the helm of the Jazz's front office, it could be time for a rebuild. Ainge did wonders for the Boston Celtics, and he could do the same in Utah. One possible move for the Jazz is to trade Gobert, who is one of their most prized assets alongside Donovan Mitchell.
On that note, here are five possible trade destinations for Gobert if the Jazz decide to trade him this offseason.
#1 Golden State Warriors
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Golden State Warriors are among the interested teams if the Utah Jazz make Rudy Gobert available for trade. The Warriors do not really need Gobert, but he could make their championship window longer.
Gobert would make Golden State's defense even more formidable, with Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga on the perimeter. He could benefit from Steph Curry and Jordan Poole's movements, receiving lobs regularly.
The Warriors could offer a combination of Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman and possibly Moses Moody and draft compensation. The only problem for Golden State is Gobert's massive four-year, $170 million contract, though. The Warriors are already a repeat luxury tax offender, while Thompson and Green are looking for the final big contracts of their careers.
The Warriors could look into trading for Rudy Gobert in the off-season, via ESPN.
Andrew Wiggins would be dealt to Utah. https://t.co/WZDLIQOGyx
#2 Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks lookied to upgrade their roster at the trade deadline, having been linked with Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers. Jason Kidd has done a fabulous job in turning the Maverics into a great defensive team, with centers such as Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber.
Sporting News have linked Rudy Gobert to Dallas as a possible trade destination this offseason. Gobert could thrive in a Mavericks uniform, receiving lobs from Luka Doncic and providing premium defense at the rim. The Mavericks could package Powell and Tim Hardaway to a few draft picks and salary fillers in exchange for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
However, the Jazz may scoff at the offer, as Hardaway and Powell are not household names or even young cornerstones. The Mavericks are also expected to be perennial playoff contenders, so their picks will not be in the lottery.
The Dallas Mavericks are very interested in pursuing a trade for Rudy Gobert (via ESPN). https://t.co/aw1wZyjccr
#3 Toronto Raptors
Just like the Dallas Mavericks, the Toronto Raptors were one of the teams linked by Sporting News to Rudy Gobert. The Raptors' main problem in the playoffs was stopping Joel Embiid. Toronto does not have a starting-caliber center, which is what Gobert is.
Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri could offer Pascal Siakam, some salary fillers and draft picks to the Jazz. Acquiring Siakam would delay Utah's rebuild, as they could take a look at him and Donovan Mitchell's fit together. Siakam had a great season after regressing in the last two years.
Another deal the Raptors could offer is a combination of OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and a bunch of other players to make the salaries match. Anunoby is younger than Siakam and would fit into the Jazz's possible plans for a rebuild.
Report: Toronto Raptors could show interest in Rudy Gobert ahnfiredigital.com/nba/raptors/re…
#4 New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are expected to make some changes to their roster this summer after a disastrous season. The Knicks pretty much want Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, but they could try to get Rudy Gobert if the Jazz decide to rebuild around Mitchell.
The Knicks could offer a combination of Julius Randle, Alec Burks and a sign-and-trade deal involving Mitchell Robinson in exchange for Gobert. They could add a few draft picks to sweeten the trade. RJ Barrett has made great strides, and he could form a great one-two punch with the French big man.
Why could the Knicks be a suitor for Rudy Gobert?
"What better way to prevent Donovan Mitchell from pushing to go to New York than to have Gobert already there?"
@johnhollinger has five potential landing spots for Gobert.
theathletic.com/3281735/?sourc… https://t.co/6APF6Kk8BG
#5 Atlanta Hawks
In addition to the Golden State Warriors, Briand Windhorst also named the Atlanta Hawks as a possible team interested in Rudy Gobert. The Hawks were a terrible defensive team this season, despite having bigs like Clint Capela, Onyeka Okungwu and John Collins.
The Hawks could offer a package of Capela, Okungwu or Collins, with Bogdan Bogdanovic and a bunch of draft picks. The Jazz would get a new center and a relaible four in Okungwu or Collins to pair with Donovan Mitchell. Bogdan would also make Bojan Bogdanovic expendable, and a possible trade bait for a perimeter defender.
If the Hawks acquire Gobert, Trae Young would now have two lob threats in Gobert and Collins or Okunguw. Gobert would also significanlty improve their defense in the paint.
Utah has to make some tough decisions this summer.
Seeing the Atlanta Hawks improve this summer could be beneficial to the "Brooklyn picks" cause and there may be no better team positioned to make a move for Rudy Gobert than Atlanta.
Who says no to something like this? https://t.co/kH7XAlKBs3
However, the Hawks need better perimeter defenders to avoid the mistakes made by the Jazz.