The Brooklyn Nets are entering a big offseason after another early playoffs exit. Following a sweep by the Boston Celtics, the Brooklynites are ready to go out and make some moves to assemble a competitive squad and give it another run at the NBA championship.
The Kyrie Irving situation is unclear right now, as recent reports suggest the Nets are unwilling to give him a long-term extension. Moreover, they need to take care of Ben Simmons, who is recovering after undergoing surgery at the end of the season.
As usual, every offseason, contenders are mentioned in trade rumors, and the Nets aren’t the exception to that. The Brooklynites can and should improve their squad, and recently one unexpected candidate to join them was brought up.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley identified Gobert as a dream target for the Nets in a hypothetical trade that would see Ben Simmons find his way to Utah:
The Brooklyn Nets previously tied their championship hopes to simply being able to overwhelm the opposition with offense. Trading James Harden for Ben Simmons showed a clear strategic shift toward better on-court balance, and leaning further toward that direction—perhaps with a straight swap of Simmons for Rudy Gobert—could be the play that solves this puzzle.
Brooklyn isn’t winning big as long as it’s stuck at 20th in defensive efficiency. Adding Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, might effectively guarantee the Nets a top-10 defense as soon as next season. He is the best paint-protector in the NBA, not to mention an elite rebounder and forceful finisher around the basket.
Could he muck up Brooklyn’s offensive spacing a bit? Sure, although probably no more than Simmons. But if an offense can take on a non-shooter and still have optimal spacing, it’s probably one featuring a horde of long-distance threats, like, say, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris and Seth Curry.
Simmons has been on the Nets since last March following his blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers. The point guard hasn’t made his debut with the Nets due to several reasons, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever make it. That’s when Gobert enters the conversation, as he could take the Nets’ defense to the next level.
It’s been reported that the Jazz could make a decision on who to build around between Donovan Mitchell and Gobert, and pairing the duo that beefed in 2017 could take the Jazz to the next level too. This is just an idea from Buckley, but it could be a good one for both teams.
