NBA Rumors: Wizards Could Acquire Rudy Gobert For Four Players & Draft Pick, ‘Bleacher Report’ Suggests
Despite numerous calls for them to undergo a full-scale rebuild, the Washington Wizards still insist that they have no plan of moving their explosive backcourt duo of Bradley Beal and John Wall. With the continuous improvement of Beal and the nearing return of Wall to the court, the Wizards believe that they are still capable of making a huge noise in the 2020-21 NBA season. However, in order to have a realistic chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and contending for the NBA championship title, the Wizards should strongly consider adding another superstar to the roster this fall.
One potential trade target for the Wizards in the 2020 offseason is All-Star center Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz. According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Wizards could offer a package that includes Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Ish Smith, Moritz Wagner, and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to the Jazz in exchange for Gobert. The proposed deal works on ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine.
The Wizards likely wouldn’t mind sacrificing four players and their lottery pick for a player of Gobert’s caliber. Aside from giving them a very reliable third scoring option behind Wall and Beal, he would also boost their performance in terms of rebounding and protecting the rim. This season, the 28-year-old French big man averaged 15.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 69.3 percent from the field, per ESPN.
Buckley believes the potential arrival of Gobert in Washington would be a huge step forward for the Wizards as it could help them solve a major weakness on the defensive end of the floor.
“Fixing the historically generous defense is step one of that process, and Rudy Gobert is the best possible solution to that problem. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is one of only 14 players to average 10 rebounds and two blocks in five seasons. He also graded as a 72nd percentile pick-and-roll screener, so he could work some two-man magic with Beal or Wall.”
The successful acquisition of Gobert may not be enough to make the Wizards an instant favorite to bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy next year, but it would give them a legitimate chance of beating Eastern Conference powerhouse teams like the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and the Milwaukee Bucks in a best-of-seven series. If Gobert manages to make himself fit in Washington and Beal and Wall return to being one of the most explosive backcourt duos in the league, the Wizards could have their own “Big Three” in the 2020-21 NBA season.
