Weeks after the NBA suspension due to the spread of the coronavirus, rumors have started to swirl around the Utah Jazz superstars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. As soon as both players were cleared of the coronavirus , the Jazz reportedly began working on the Mitchell-Gobert relationship. However, according to Sam Amick and Tony Jones of The Athletic , via CBS Sports , one source with knowledge of the situation believes that the relationship between Mitchell and Gobert “doesn’t appear salvageable.”
If the Jazz fail to fix the issue between Mitchell and Gobert, they could be forced to break their superstar duo in the 2020 NBA offseason. In his recent article, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report suggested potential landing spots and trade packages for Mitchell and Gobert. If the Jazz decide to trade Gobert instead of Mitchell, Bailey sees the Dallas Mavericks as one of the NBA teams who could express strong interest in acquiring the French big man.
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report , the Mavericks would be sending a trade package including Dwight Powell, Tim Hardaway Jr., a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2025 first-round pick to the Jazz in exchange for Gobert. Before pushing through with the trade, the Mavericks would first need to convince Hardaway Jr. to opt into the final year of his contract.
Though they would be needing to sacrifice two important members of their rotation and two future draft picks, Swartz believes that trading for Gobert is a no-brainer for the Mavericks. Pairing the French big man with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzigis would enable the Mavericks to form an “All-Euro Big Three” that would give them a legitimate chance of fully dominating the Western Conference and winning the NBA championship title next season.
“For Dallas, it would be a no-brainer to empty what’s left in the cupboard for Gobert. This season showed us that Kristaps Porzingis may be at his best when playing at the 5, but Dallas could stagger the minutes enough to still give KP time there. And when the two bigs were on the floor together, teams would be hard-pressed to score inside. On top of that, rim-runners have been a staple of head coach Rick Carlisle’s offenses for years. Tyson Chandler, Brandan Wright and Powell are just a few who come to mind.”
Gobert would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Mavericks, giving them an All-Star caliber center and a very reliable third scoring option behind Doncic and Porzingis. The potential arrival of Gobert in Dallas would tremendously boost the Mavericks’ performance on both ends of the floor. This season, the 27-year-old center is averaging 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks while shooting 69.8 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, Swartz described the proposed trade deal as a “desperation move” for the Jazz. Swartz believes that the Jazz should only proceed with the deal if they feel pressured to move Gobert and other NBA teams are trying to get the French big man for a discounted price.