Getty Rudy Gobert defends Anthony Davis during a 2020 bout between the Utah Jazz and the LA Lakers.
The Golden State Warriors may be knee-deep in NBA Finals preparations and game-planning for the Boston Celtics, but the Association’s other 28 teams are already working toward coming back bigger and better next season.
To that end, the Utah Jazz figure to be one of the more intriguing follows this summer. After half a decade of “close, but no cigar,” the Jazz band may be on the verge of making major changes in an effort to produce sweeter music in 2022-23. And the Dubs have been linked to All-Star big man Rudy Gobert in the event that the Jazz look to deal him.
“If Rudy Gobert becomes available… I think you’d find a lot of those veterans with the Warriors might want the team to make a run at him,” a league exec told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney last month.
Given that scenario as a hypothetical, one Jazz insider is pitching the following move to bring the Stifle Tower to the Bay Area.
Proposed Deal for Gobert
On Wednesday, The Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden, who has been on the Jazz beat since 2018, attempted to identify a Jazz-centric trade for every other team in the league. Where the Warriors were concerned, he went with the following:
- Golden State Warriors receive C Rudy Gobert, F Royce O’Neale
- Utah Jazz receive G/F Andrew Wiggins, C James Wiseman, F Jonathan Kuminga, G/F Moses Moody
The structure here is similar to that of other proposed Gobert-to-Golden State moves. However, this one is notable in that it sees the Dubs parting with both of their 2021 lottery picks.
Wrote Walden: “The already-phenomenal Warriors sacrifice some depth for another stellar defensive piece, while the Jazz get an All-Star forward and a collection of recent lottery picks (one big, two wings) in return.”
There’s no doubting that Gobert would help the Warriors from a defense/rebounding standpoint, but he could also bring something to the table offensively as well as a rim roller and screener. The four-time All-NBA selection led the NBA in screen-assist points in 2021-22 at 15.3 per game while converting at an 80.3% clip on shot attempts within three feet of the hoop.
Still, the return package that’s being proposed would be difficult for GSW to stomach.
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Where Things Get Funky
From a cap standpoint, as well as a logistical one, including Wiggins and Wiseman in a deal for Gobert is a no-brainer. However, adding Kuminga and Moody into the mix may just make this particular trade a non-starter for the Warriors, as the former has All-Star potential and the latter has his share of believers as well.
Golden State does get O’Neale in the trade to help offset the Wiggins loss, and he was once regarded as Utah’s best perimeter defender. That said, he’s coming off a playoff run during which he fielded a team-worst D-rating of 119.4. And for all of his willingness to mix it up with opponents, he’s too small at 6-foot-4 to really pose a major threat to topflight wings.
This deal would also make the Dubs’ unprecedented luxury tax situation even more hellacious, as Gobert is owed a whopping $205 million over the next five years.
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