NBA Execs Envision Rudy Gobert Trade To Mavs
DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks are, at long last, an "NBA destination,'' courtesy of the inviting presence of Luka Doncic. In this space, we've rattled off the names of various league standouts who could be on the move, and explored Dallas' history with the players and connections with the players and fit with the players.
Those names, as Mavs fans know well now, range from Giannis Antetokounmpo to Bradley Beal to Victor Oladipo to Serge Ibaka to Goran Dragic to Danilo Gallinari to Jae Crowder to Jrue Holliday.
They, and others, all make sense, on different levels.
And so does Rudy Gobert.
ESPN's Zach Lowe is the latest to float this idea, though he adds some meat to the bone by writing, "several rival executives have pitched the Mavs as a trade destination for Gobert.''
That's a bit different than the customary "fantasy trade''; this is, if not a front-burner Mavs/Jazz idea, being discussed by plugged-in NBA higher-ups.
Lowe writes: "I get the thinking - a rim-running center to stabilize Dallas' shaky defense - but I can't get there. Devoting $65 million combined to Gobert and Porzingis when the latter needs to play a good chunk at center is not optimal.''
KP doesn't really need to play center at all, but it's true that he blossomed statistically when he did. We do like, and agree with, the long-term thinking presented by Lowe, which includes the idea that a big-time acquisition now can help fill the cupboard if and when there's ever a time to flip new-value pieces for Giannis.
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The 7-1 Gobert is just 28 and a perennial NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate, is eligible for a supermax, and that would be part of the cost here. The other part of the cost: All the pieces that would be sent to Utah in trade. Maxi Kleber? Dwight Powell? The two NBA Draft picks? (Sending bigs would clear the playing-time issue, and sending salaries could clear up future room.)
The Mavs, as always, have front-office connections with Gobert, a native of France. He seemed to be in conflict with Jazz teammates at times last year, including his foolishly playful attitude toward the COVID-19 issue. But as Lowe writes, "The simplest outcome is Utah and Gobert finding a palatable middle ground between Gobert's current salary and the supermax - perhaps something like a four-year, $135 million deal with incentives.''
Indeed, the simplest concept is always that the existing team retain its existing stars. But "NBA executives'' seeing the Gobert situation in another way means we and the Mavs should be looking at it in another way as well.
