After their major frontcourt weakness was exposed in the 2020 Playoffs, the Boston Celtics are expected to be more aggressive in finding a starting-caliber center this offseason. Though they don’t have enough salary cap space to chase big names in the 2020 free agency, they have a plethora of trade assets that they could use to engage in a blockbuster deal this fall. According to Mark Nilon of Fansided’s Hardwood Houdini , one of the win-now trade targets for the Celtics is All-Star center Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz have yet to make Gobert available on the trading block, but if they decide to move the French big man, Celtics President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ainge should do everything he can to bring him to Boston. Nilon believes that the successful acquisition of Gobert could thrust the Celtics into the “title-favorites territory” in the 2020-21 NBA season.
“The All-Star/ 2x NBA Defensive Player of the Year would easily give the Cs an obscene amount of firepower not seen residing in the frontcourt since the days of Kevin Garnett. Like we’ve implied in the past, Boston really needs to address their center position heading into next season, especially after the way the Heat took advantage of said weakness with Bam Adebayo wreaking havoc in the Eastern Conference Finals. Unlike our last two slides that also address the pivot, however, this trade sees the Celtics acquiring a legitimate star at the position in Gobert.”
Gobert would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Celtics. He may not be capable of spacing the floor like other dominant big men in the league, but he would still help Boston improve their performance on both ends of the floor. He would give them an All-Star caliber center who is an incredible rebounder, shot-blocker, and low-post scorer.
This season, Gobert averaged 15.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 69.3 percent from the field, per ESPN . If Gobert meshes well with the Celtics’ core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, and Marcus Smart, Boston would no longer have to fear anyone next season, even the reigning NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat.
Gobert may be an All-Star, but the Celtics wouldn’t have to give up either Tatum or Brown to convince the Jazz to make the deal. To acquire him this offseason, a previous The Inquisitr article suggested that the Celtics could send a package that includes Gordon Hayward, Daniel Theis, and the No. 14 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to Utah.