NBA – As the NBA Draft begins this Thursday, many franchises are panicking this week trying to find their next nuggets. But many are also trying to set up trades in view of the free agency which begins on July 1. One name comes to everyone’s mind after a failure in the playoffs, that of French pivot Rudy Gobert. Focus on the potential franchises likely to welcome it.
Le Jazz d’Utah should animate the transfer market this summer. After the 2-4 elimination in the first round of playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks, the team of Donovan Mitchell et Rudy Gobert seemed at the end of the cycle since the end of the regular season. Moreover, arriving in 2014 a year after a certain Rudy Gobertthe coach Quin Snyder is going to pack his bags, having failed three times in the conference semifinals. It’s time to turn the page for Duke’s former assistant. With the arrival of a new coach, the leaders want to change eras and try to turn a corner.
And to change dimension, the front office of the franchise could try to trade the three-time defender of the year. As the NBA draft approaches, teams will try to put together trades to improve their workforce. And if Mike Conley et Bojan Bogdanovic are the first targeted, the one with the highest market value, it is Rudy Gobert. He who signed a maximum contract of 205 million over 5 years (2021-2026), could interest many franchises, and would be a big bargaining chip for the Jazz. The Salt Lake City team would claim a player from all-star caliber, young talent and picks to consider a departure from the pivot.
???? If there is 1 trade in Utah, then it will be in the form of a domino.
Conley and Bogdanovic targeted first, but Gobert has the most market value between them. No rush in Utah, but it could quickly accelerate around the Draft.
Reinforcement on the wings in priority. pic.twitter.com/mCz46CdWtq
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) June 19, 2022
Pick’n’roll with Trae Young?
Three main avenues are mentioned concerning the future of the French pivot. The first is that of the Atlanta Hawks. The franchise of Trae Young wants to continue to play the top of the table after his failure in the first round of the last playoffs, and therefore wishes to surround its star leader as much as possible. This is why the leaders do not forbid themselves anything, apart from a transfer of Young. Any player will be a good bargaining chip for them. Players with a strong contract like John Collins, Clint Capela or Bogdan Bogdanovic represent the best options for negotiating a trade with the Jazz for Gobert.
REPORT: The Hawks could trade a combination of Clint Capela, John Collins, Kevin Huerter and No. 16 overall pick for Rudy Gobert.
(via B/R) pic.twitter.com/9QG7Qgr9HJ
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 14, 2022
Heading to Canada?
Another eastern franchise would be interested in playing with the native of Saint-Quentin. The Toronto Raptors, 2019 NBA champions, are looking to strengthen themselves at the pivot position, and several avenues are mentioned. Myles Turner, Jacob Poeltl, DeAndre Ayton but also Rudy Gobert are the targets of Masai Ujiri. It now remains for the leader who brought Kawhi Leonard in Canada in 2018, to find common ground on a potential player in exchange. Rumors are about AND Anunoby which could be included in the trade, but that will not be enough. We will have to find other players, or set up a three-team exchange.
The Utah Jazz reportedly want a star-caliber player, a young prospect and picks in a trade package for Rudy Gobert, per @SeanDeveney
“As one Western Conference executive tells https://t.co/W5N1UuZNsVthe price for Gobert is, ‘pretty astronomical.’” pic.twitter.com/RZlyBLKljQ
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 14, 2022
Exploring Illinois?
The Chicago Bulls were back in the fore this season. If they were first in the Eastern Conference in January, they had more difficulty confirming at the end of the regular season. Mainly because of injuries and a lack of regularity against the big arms of the East. Following its first-round loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the franchise, now managed by Arturas Karnisovas wants to take a leap.
As mentioned by the journalist Jake Fischer by Bleacher Reportthe franchise led by Danny Ainge Strongly argues with the Bulls for Gobert. Chicago has players who could satisfy the management Jazz, with in the first place Nikola Vucevic. The Montenegrin landed in 2021 from Orlando with All-Star status. But also with the reputation (not usurped) of a very offensive pivot. This season, however, it was overshadowed by the emergence of the duo DeMar DeRozan–Zach LaVine. Free agent in 2023, he is a perfect candidate for an exchange.
And Nikola Vucevic has a good rating, it could be too light to seduce the Jazz. That is why Patrick Williams could be included in this trade. The 4th choice of the 2020 draft, has a very good rating on the market. If he has been injured for a large part of the season, the forward had shown great defensive potential at the college level, and during his first year in the NBA. A profile that Utah is absolutely looking for, since the defense on the wings was a problem in playoffs. Another player mentioned by the Bulls would be the playmaker Coby White. Also injured this season, he suffered the arrival of Lonzo Balland include it in the trade would be a possibility.
New Bulls Talk Podcast with @KCJHoop, @rob_schaef and @thetonygill: The Rudy Gobert episode
• How real is smoke connecting Bulls and Jazz?
• How much would Gobert improve Bulls?
• Financial realities of making a trade work
????: https://t.co/NcpRXcpNC6 pic.twitter.com/v2ztWF4dw6
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) June 10, 2022
The time of choice for Jazz
It now remains to be seen whether the Jazz will really want to give up their star pivot. For Jake Fischer, willingness to ask for trade XXL, could jeopardize a lot of things.
I really think it’s like 50-50 or maybe 60-40, says the journalist on his podcast. Because in the end, if the Jazz can’t find a package that comes close to Gobert’s value, I think they will be very happy to keep him. Many people present will be.
It remains to be seen now where will land Rudy Gobert next October. Maybe he’ll start a new story somewhere else, or start a tenth straight season in his lifelong franchise. However, the main interested party has never publicly displayed his desire to leave, repeatedly affirming his attachment to Salt Lake City. The ball is therefore in the court of the franchise, which, in addition to having to find a new coach, will have to decide on the outlines of its workforce for the next season.
