This offseason, there are a handful of stars being mentioned around the league in trade talks, and two big men seem to be in discussion a lot more than other players. A sign-and-trade for Deandre Ayton is one of the big possibilities being spoken about, while the Utah Jazz’s latest playoff disappointment has seen trade rumors revolve around 3-time Defensive Player Of the Year, Rudy Gobert.
Gobert has been linked with a trade package involving Nikola Vucevic and Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls. But one of the teams that are linked with Ayton is now also linked with the big Frenchman, the Atlanta Hawks. According to Jake Fischer of Blacher Report, there are several players and assets that the Hawks could use in a potential trade to team Gobert up with Trae Young.
“There has been plenty of talk among league personnel that some combination of Capela, John Collins, Kevin Huerter and the No. 16 pick could be routed to Utah for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year,” wrote Fischer.
Clint Capela is an excellent defensive big, someone that can get blocks and rebounds, while Collins is a borderline star and Huerter is very much a serviceable role player. If the Jazz is looking to retool around Donovan Mitchell by trading Gobert, then a package like this would mean a lot of nice pieces that they can make use of.
It also depends on how many of these assets Atlanta would use in a potential trade. Giving all of them up for Gobert, who isn’t the biggest threat offensively, might not be the best idea for the franchise. However, if there’s any player in the NBA that can bring the best out of a big man, it’s Trae Young. His elite playmaking makes Young an ideal partner for Rudy, and this trade might just end up being beneficial to both teams.
