NBA Rumors: Bulls May Consider Trading For Rudy Gobert To Reach Playoffs Next Season, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
All-Star center Rudy Gobert may have already addressed the rumored dispute between him and his Utah Jazz co-star Donovan Mitchell, but rumors still continue to circulate around his future with the team. Despite the Jazz’s insistence that it has no intention of moving the French big man, most people still expected Gobert to be among the most coveted superstars on the trade market in the 2020 NBA offseason. If he becomes officially available on the trading block, several NBA teams that are in dire need of a frontcourt boost and additional star power are expected to express strong interest in adding him to their roster, including the Chicago Bulls.
In his recent article, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report created a list of desperation trades to get the NBA’s worst teams to the 2021 NBA Playoffs. For the Bulls, Hughes believes that the successful acquisition of Gobert in the 2020 offseason would give them a realistic chance of ending their three-year playoff drought in the 2020-21 NBA season. In the proposed trade scenario, the Bulls would be sending a trade package that includes Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr., Thaddeus Young, and a 2020 unprotected first-round pick to the Jazz in exchange for Gobert.
The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. Trading all those assets would undeniably be a tough decision for the Bulls, but it would be worth it if it means acquiring a player of Gobert’s caliber. As Hughes noted, Gobert is a “truly rare game-changing big” who could give the Bulls a defensive identity and a player that could complement their core of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and Otto Porter Jr.
“The Bulls’ point guard situation is unsettled, but if Gobert’s arrival signals a full-on commitment to defense, Kris Dunn might be worth retaining. Zach LaVine’s constant space-outs would hurt less with Gobert on the back line. Same goes for Lauri Markkanen, who could actually survive at the 4 with an ace shot-blocker cleaning up his mistakes. If Otto Porter Jr. stays healthy (and picks up his player option), Chicago has even more two-way punch.”
Gobert may not be on the same level as Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he is indeed capable of making a huge difference for Chicago next season. Aside from being a quality rim protector, he’s also a very reliable scoring option under the basket and an incredible rebounder. This season, he’s averaging 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks on 69.8 percent shooting from the field.
The potential arrival of Gobert would help the Bulls improve their offensive and defensive efficiencies that are currently 27th and 15th, respectively, per ESPN. Gobert wouldn’t turn the Bulls into an instant title contender, but if he, LaVine, Markkanen, and Porter Jr. grow together and build good chemistry, Chicago could become a team to watch out for in the Eastern Conference next season.
