Should Rudy Gobert Be a Top Trade Target for Bulls Amid Rumors Involving Jazz Star?
Rudy Gobert is a three-time All-Star and a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He's been named to an All-NBA team four times and an All-Defensive team six times.
The 30-year-old is also a former rebound champion and a former block champion, and the 7-foot-1 center is among the best defensive players in the league.
And for all nine of his NBA seasons, Gobert has been a member of the Utah Jazz.
That may not always be the case, though. The Frenchman has been featured in some trade rumors of late, as the NBA offseason is now in full swing.
And it's not a sure thing that he will still be in Utah when the 2022-23 season begins.
There's been some buzz regarding the Chicago Bulls being a potential trade partner for the Jazz in a deal featuring Gobert. But according to a recent report by K.J. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, those may have been overblown.
Johnson wrote that league sources indicated to him that the Gobert-to-Chicago rumors have been "overstated." And it's possible the Bulls won't make any major moves like that this offseason, as they want to see their team at full strength after injuries impacted them this past season.
"Trading for Gobert would run contrary to [executive vice president of basketball operations Arturo] Karnisovas not once but twice stating his desire to seek continuity for the core he assembled," Johnson wrote.
Not only that, but Johnson believes it would take a "steep price" for Chicago to trade for Gobert. He thinks it would likely take a package including forward Patrick Williams, who the Bulls have "strong internal belief can be an impact player."
So, it seems a bit unlikely Gobert will end up in a Bulls uniform in the near future. However, is not making that move the right move?
Gobert is incredibly talented and continues to play at a high level. This past season, he averaged 15.6 points and a league-high 14.7 rebounds in 66 games. He also shot an NBA-best 71.3 percent from the field.
Although it would take a good bit in order to trade for him, he isn't set to become an unrestricted free agent until 2026, unless he opts out of his player option a year earlier. So a team that acquires him would be getting him for at least three (and likely four) seasons.
If the Bulls could somehow assemble a trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Gobert, they would be difficult to beat. Especially with some of the complementary young talent they'd have surrounding those three.
Might Chicago have to part with some young players, though? Yes. But Gobert is the type of player who would help the Bulls become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and probably an NBA title contender. So it may be worth the high price of notable players and draft picks.
Of course, Chicago shouldn't be willing to trade anything it takes to land Gobert. If Utah is asking for too many first-round picks or players who should be off the table (like LaVine), then it makes sense for the Bulls to not make a deal.
But if they can get Gobert for a reasonable offer, they should try to make it happen. Because even though these recent rumors may have been "overstated," he could be a player to help take Chicago to the next level.
