Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 this year and while nobody blames him for catching the virus, his carelessness and mishandling the situation put his entire team in jeopardy.
It wasn’t long before reports of a rift between Gobert and the other players surfaced and, as a result, whispers about a potential departure from the team began to spread.
Needless to say, the situation in Utah is tense right now and his availability on the trade market may have spiked as a result.
Many teams would benefit from his arrival, but one team that could benefit the most from a Gobert acquisition? The Chicago Bulls. In an article by Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, he lays out what a Gobert trade between the Bulls and Jazz might look like.
Chicago Bulls Get: Rudy Gobert
Utah Jazz Get: Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr., Thaddeus Young, 2020 unprotected first-round pick
This is a ton for the Chicago Bulls to surrender, but Rudy Gobert is a truly rare game-changing big who’ll instantly give them a defensive identity—with the added bonus of forcing head coach Jim Boylen (or whoever takes over if new management moves on) to abandon an overly aggressive trapping scheme.
So, the Bulls would get their defensive stopper and man in the middle. The Jazz, meanwhile, get an interesting haul of young bucks to bolster their depth.
Even if the package of young players and assets is enticing, Utah only considers this if, despite recent indications they’ve reached a tepid accord, Gobert and Donovan Mitchell simply can’t coexist long-term. Also, don’t overlook the possibility that the Jazz have already decided they don’t want to commit the max to Gobert on an extension in 2021. If that’s the case, this is an immense haul for a team that may not even want to keep the guy it’s giving up.
In the end, it’s a trade that gives both sides a bonus. Gobert is the best defensive big in the league and his impact on the Bulls would be monumental.
And considering the fractured relationship he has with his teammates in Utah, the Jazz may not have a problem giving him up if it’s for the right price.
Only time will reveal how this situation plays out, but the Bulls will be knocking on every door they can this offseason. The Jazz will certainly be one of them.
