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Rudy Gobert Trade Ideas

The tension between Rudy Gobert and his Utah Jazz teammates, most notably Donovan Mitchell, has been all over the media in recent weeks. The Jazz, although a playoff contender, may have their hand forced in trading the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Gobert is only 27 and in his prime, so it’s not necessarily as if the Jazz won’t get much from a return, even if desperate to sell.

Rudy Gobert Trade Ideas

New York Knicks

Utah Jazz receive: Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle

New York Knicks receive: Rudy Gobert 

The Knicks have a tendency to swing for the fences… and miss. With this dilemma, however, they may finally find a route to acquiring a superstar. The obvious truth is that New York is not currently seen as a destination for elite free agents. Having a star like Gobert would immediately change this. The Knicks would have the opportunity in pairing Gobert with a great free agent of their choice and what is likely to be a top-five draft pick.

The Jazz, on the other hand, gets a very solid return. First of all, Robinson is only 22 and has shown flashes of great potential. He’s averaging 10 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks a game this season. This has come in limited playing time (23 minutes) due to an overcrowded New York frontcourt. There’s plenty of time left for him to blossom and he could be the future alongside Mitchell.

Randle is a major offensive threat. Although he often makes some erratic decisions, he’s on the brink of averaging a 20-point-10-rebound double-double. With him on their side, the Jazz would improve offensively while still having an anchor in the middle like Robinson. Furthermore, sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic would be able to move back to small forward.

Golden State Warriors

Utah Jazz receive: Andrew Wiggins, Eric Paschall, and future picks

Golden State Warriors receive: Rudy Gobert 

This is a little more of a desperation move for the Jazz, but a massive move for the Warriors. In this trade, the Warriors, already returning their big three next season, would once again have arguably the top starting five in the league. There would be scoring galore with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and the team would be a defensive nightmare with Draymond Green and Gobert. This is a must-offer for the Warriors.

The Jazz get a very capable scoring wing in Wiggins. He’s had very strong averages of nearly 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game. The Jazz would have to look elsewhere for a talented center, but a scoring punch of Mitchell, Bogdanovic, and Wiggins would be tough to stop.

Paschall has also been a nice surprise during his rookie season with the Warriors. The forward is averaging 14 points and nearly five rebounds per game. His statistics may be slightly inflated due to the Warriors’ “tanking,” but the talent and potential is there nevertheless.

Charlotte Hornets

Utah Jazz receive: Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges

Charlotte Hornets receive: Rudy Gobert  

This is where Michael Jordan gets tired of mediocrity. The Hornets are better suited with Devonte’ Graham at point guard. Gobert would form a great pick and roll threat with him, and like the Knicks situation, the Hornets would become a more attractive free-agent destination. With another top 10 draft pick in the cards, the Hornets would be upgrading.

Utah finds another point guard to pair alongside Mitchell. The Mike Conley experiment didn’t work, but Rozier is still young and has time to adjust. The Jazz would have a very high-scoring backcourt on their side. Also, Bridges is a growing player who has shown great improvement in his second season. The high-flying forward would surely accept a bench role if that’s the case but could be strong competition for Royce O’Neale.

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